Chosen Warriors-35th Hunger Games
by SexyBonBon
Summary: Ten years ago, twenty-four children were chosen to live in The Capitol, training for the Games. Ten years on, the children range from fifteen to seventeen. After years of acting in a "reality" show and training six days a week, they are ready to put what they have learned to the test. Twenty-four warriors, one victor. SYOT
1. Chapter 1

There is a blog to this story **at chosenw35thhg DOT weebly DOT com**

* * *

"To remind The Districts that skill is nothing more than your upbringing, twenty-four tributes will be reaped this year alongside The Tributes for the Twenty-Fifth Hunger Games. These children will then be escorted to The Capitol where they will spend the next ten years training until the time where the top twelve Tributes shall be placed in an arena until only one comes out,"- _ **President Howlett, 0025**_

* * *

Coriolanus awoke to a small tapping on the large, wooden door of his bedroom. He sat up for a few moments, the tapping continued, then sighed, slamming his head into to his soft, silk pillow. He allowed his face to sink into the fabric, grunting as he did so. The tapping continued for a few more moments until it ceased, leaving the boy in silence. Coriolanus lifted his head slightly, his blue eyes drifting to the light that seemed to claw its way under his door. Just then, a shadow blocked out the light, four small fingers wriggling through the gap.

"Coriolanus, come play," his sister, Amaryllis whispered, her long, manicured nails scraping at the carpet. Coriolanus rolled over, facing away from the door, pouting slightly.

"I don't play games," he mumbled, "I am tired,"

Amaryllis huffed, "but you promised!" the younger girl cried, slamming her hand into the floor.

"Fine!" the boy whined back, kicking the thick blanket off his legs and shuffling towards the door.

Amaryllis smiled, standing up and waiting for the door to open. When it did, her older brother squinted at the bright light. His face was wrinkled as he attempted an angered face but succeeded in nothing but seeming cute. The siblings were not that different in looks, both sported curly, light brown hair with piercing blue eyes and tanned skin. However, personality was were the two separated. Coriolanus was competitive and serious, never taking anything for less than he wanted. Amaryllis, on the other hand, was a bright and bouncy girl who lived life to the full. Although, she shared her brother's competitive streak.

The dark haired girl giggled as she held her hand out, her older brother taking it with frustration. The young girl didn't seem to notice though, her blue eyes lighting up with excitement as she took off down the hall, dragging her brother along with her. Coriolanus sighed deeply as he dragged his feet on the floor, shuffling along behind his four-year-old sister.

She leads him down the staircase after staircase of the three-story house, their feet quietly padding down the steps until they came to the doors of the ball room. Amaryllis stopped, pulling free of her brother's grip and turning to smile at him. Her older brother studied her face, her thin lips curled into a smile and her eyes closed as she rocked back and forth on the heels of her feet. She could be cute, he guessed but overall, she was annoying.

"I spent all night making it!" she giggled, placing her hands behind her back.

"Open the door then," he sighed, running his hand through his curly brown locks. His little sister seemed hurt for a moment before quickly regaining her smile and turning to open the doors.

With a woosh, the doors opened, moon light reflecting off the polished marble floor. The room was dark and gloomy, the grand, golden room looked rather frightening in the dark. In the centre was a small tent that was brightly lit from the inside. Coriolanus let out a groan as he watched his little sister run across the floor, one of her bunny slippers flying off her foot.

She looked over her shoulder at him, letting out a little giggle as she turned to open the tent. Coriolanus Begrudgingly flowed suit, his head low as he took as much time as he could to reach his sister's tent. Halfway there, his sister poked her head out and with a little tease, he started to pick up the pace.

Once he reached the tent, he took a few seconds to study his sister's new toy. It was square in shape and the waterproof fabric was a deep green. The bottom was almost like a black gloss but also waterproof. Coriolanus followed the tent around, running his hand along the surface, his eyes scanning it up and down. He continued his sweep until he came to a large gash in the back of the tent that had been crudely covered up with staples and a butterfly blanket. He frowned as Amaryllis ran around the side, hugging her big brother's legs.

"You got this from that charity auction, didn't you," he said, his eyes still taking in every aspect of the torn fabric. Amaryllis looked up at him, then away, hugging him tighter.

"Well, dad got it for me," she mumbled like she expected him to tell her off.

"I thought you didn't like the Games-"

"I don't!" his sister stopped him, burying her head in his thigh. "They are scary,"

 _Yet you still buy a tent a tribute died in._ That's what Coriolanus wanted to say but he understood his little sister's fear. For now, The Hunger Games were a terrifying show but soon, she would grow to love them like the rest of her people. She was right to fear them. He understood how sick and twisted they were, at one time, he wanted to stop them. Then, he understood their true meaning and the power they held over people. He came to love them but it would be laughable for him to expect Amaryllis to see them as anything else but a living nightmare.

"Well, at least you fixed it, my dear," he said softly, a reassuring smile spreading across his lips. Amaryllis looked at the badly patched hole and smiled.

"Yeah...I did a good job...didn't I?" she said with a smile, looking up at her brothers fake one and feeling reassured once more. "I love you Coriolanus," she sighed, hugging her brother so tightly around his waist, he became slightly breathless.

"I love you too," he sighed, running his hand through her thick, brown hair.

* * *

 **Nineteen Years Later…**

"Presidential candidate, Ares Marina was found dead last night after drinking an unknown substance. Foul play is not suspected,"

"They are dropping like fly's this year," Coriolanus chuckled as he straightened his bow in front of the mirror.

"Yes, sir," his stylist said with a wide smile, his yellow, snake-like eyes looking at his crisp white suit. Amaryllis just hummed in reply, her blue eyes trained on the screen. Her brother looked at himself in the mirror, striking different poses he might be photographed in to see how his suit looked.

Now, in his prime, he was very different from the bored looking boy he was nineteen years before. His brown hair was now crimson red and slicked back, adorned with a well trimmed, red beard. His thin lips now looked like something out of a horror movie thanks to years of surgery to make them plump and stretched into a wide, constant smile. The only remnants of his past self were his ice blue eyes and even those were starting to bore him.

He glanced over to his stylist, Morice, and then to his reflection, his smile becoming wider.

"Amaryllis," he called over to blue-haired sister who jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. "I think I should take some style advice from Morice here, I really do love his eyes," he seethed, almost like he was taunting his sister. However, what would have made people feel very uneasy, she knew was just the way her older brother spoke.

"And what, look like a snake?" she raised and eyebrow at her brother who laughed at her reaction, almost as if she was missing a crucial point in his plan.

"It is better than looking like puppy, is it not?" he laughed, Morice looking slightly uneasy next to the presidential candidate. Amaryllis gave a shrug, knowing she was not one to nitpick at body modifications. Her body was covered head to toe in bright tattoo's, inked by the greatest artist in panem. That coupled with her straight blue hair, she was in no way to mock her brother's choices in that department. Not by his standards anyway.

"Hm, but are you willing to take advice from a stylist-"

"Morice is the best in Panem, little sister, if anyone knows style, it is him...I mean, look at this suit!" Morice smiled shyly, turning his gaze away from Amaryllis.

"White is by far the purest colour, everyone votes for white," Morice said proudly. Coriolanus patted him on the back, turning back to his sister with a victorious look in his eyes.

"True, but will anyone want to vote for a snake?"

"They will have no other choice, my dear," he and his sister held eye contact for a moment before Amaryllis broke it, standing up and walking away from her brother.

"I understand, brother," she sighed, walking over to the liquor table and pouring herself a drink. "Just, please, don't do anything until the Games have finished. They almost got canceled after the president's death, it won't take much for them to cancel it completely," the blue haired girl lifted the glass of gin to her lips and took a sip.

Ten years ago, Amaryllis watched twenty-four children, ranging from five to seven years, reaped and taken to The Capitol. She had spent ten years of her life, watching them train and cause drama on a reality show and she wanted nothing more than to see who would finally win. The idea that she might never get her ending if her brother slipped up, angered her. More than losing did.

Coriolanus chuckled, "I remembered when you were frightened of the Games-"

"All children are frightened of the Games, even you," Amaryllis jumped in, narrowing her eyes at her brother. Coriolanus sized up his sister for a few seconds before completely disregarding the idea. When it came to brains, he had received the lion's share but when it came to brute strength, even he was useless. Amaryllis was a trainer for a living, she could beat him in a fight even with his best strategy. No, he was a thinker rather than a fighter.

"Ah yes, but being frightened is normal, finding joy in it is what you should be worried about,"

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 **This is my third SYOT and fourth SYOC type story. My second SYOT (Hell Island-25th Hunger Games) is two chapters away from the bloodbath, my first story 24 to Life: 24th Hunger Games is complete. My SYOC is ongoing and currently on it's first "reaping". I have had this idea for a while, it was going to be my second SYOT but I decided to put it on the back burner for a while until my writing had improved. I personally think it has so I thought it was time. It is also my first Third person story.**

 **Overview of the twist:**

 **During the announcement of the twist ten years ago, President Howlett shocked the nation by announcing a twist that would take ten years to come into effect. An outraged public forced her to pick another twist. She kept the first one seeing as it would not really affect anyone for many years.**

 **This is what the first twist means.**

 **During the 25th Hunger Games, not long after the victor was announced, The Capitol asked for citizens of the District to volunteer children, who were between five and seven years old, in return for money. The chosen children were then placed through multiple exercise to determine the best female and male child. Those children were then escorted to the Capitol, their families being rewarded with money until their child's death.**

 **Once in The Capitol, they were treated like a victor, everyone and everything was theirs. However, in return, they must take part in training six days a week to a strict Peacekeeper training program for ten years.**

 **Three years of living in the Capitol, the children were evaluated by Gamemakers and assigned a 'Warrior Pair'. The tributes were given a skill that would serve them in the Arena. There were twelve skills up for grabs and were given to the tributes based on their performance in the session with The Gamemakers. Two tributes were placed in each category, gender and District did not apply. These pairs will be forced to work together in training and inside the Arena. No other alliances are permitted. In the sad event that a pair gets separated, the other will have to spend their time in the Arena, alone.**

 **Alongside this, they have been part of a reality TV show about their lives since they arrived in The Capitol. The show is on five days a week and follows their day to day life although most of it is staged. They were also forced to pick a talent when they arrived and have been forced to take it up as a hobby, much like the Victors.**

 **Failure to comply to any of this results in an unthinkable punishment.**

 **The night before The Arena, the people of The Capitol will vote for their top twelve tributes. Those who win the vote will go onto The Arena, the losers face something far more horrifying (what this is will be a surprise).**

 **Things you need to know:**

 **-The children are all fifteen to seventeen depending on how old they were when they were chosen.**

 **-They have lived the life of a wealthy celebrity since they were five/six/seven so they have not been without for ten years.**

 **-NOT every parent is abusive. It was a large sum of money by lower District standards. Little by Capital standards, a lifeline for The Districts.**

 **-These children are trained killers, far more skilled than the Careers. There will be no fifteen year olds who don't know how to use a sword and be so weak they snap if the wind changes. They might not be the strongest tribute but they will still be strong. This means that even children from District Twelve are strong.**

 **-This is not canon but it is set in the same universe as Hell Island and 24 to Life. You don't have to read those stories to understand this one. However, I would suggest checking out the victor list in Hell Island. There is still ten victors to add but it will give you an idea.**

 **-This is not first come, first served. I need certain characters for what I have planned. Feel free to submit as many as you like and I will try to make sure everyone gets at least one tribute in the story.**

 **The deadline is until I reach the final ten in Hell Island so you have a lot of time (or until I get enough submissions). I will let you know in advance in the case of the latter.**

 **All I have to say is good luck, the form and more info is in my profile.**

 **-Robin.**


	2. Love and Pain

**We find out more about Amaryllis Snow in this chapter and meet our Head Gamemaker. Still feel free to submit as much as you like. I am really excited for this story.**

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Amaryllis walked through her once beloved childhood home, her parents and happy memories now long gone. The silent rooms made her feel helpless and lost yet she inherited and kept the house in a futile attempt to bring happiness back into her life. The woman had a good life, she really had no need to feel so sad and lonely but spending your life around death grinds you down in the end. She trained children to kill, stood trial for her parent's unsolved murders more times than she could count and now, every day she woke to wonder which presidential candidate her brother had killed to further his own chances. It seemed every day her life was starting to drag even though she should have been overlooking the bad things and focusing on how good her life was.

The bright lights above flickered to life as the sound of her high heels on the hard wooden floor echoed through the halls, then slowly shutting off when she had passed them. It was the latest in Capitol technology that her brother had installed for her. She never really cared for them but she had to admit they were better than the wasted energy it would take to find a switch.

The clanking of her high heel shoes continued until she came to a holt in front of a pair of large wooden doors. She dug her hand into the pockets of her baggy, baby blue pants and pulled a pair of golden keys out and held them up towards the light, trying to catch the engravings in the vanishing light. She noticed a small engraving of a rose on one of them and smiled, pulling the key towards the lock and twisting it. She fiddled with the lock until there was a small mechanical click. She pushed on the door but they stayed firmly shut.

Amaryllis growled in the back of her throat at her stupidity for not locking it before she left and placed the key inside the lock once more until she heard a click, slightly different in pitch, and pushed the door and it opened to a small room that was already brightly lit.

She slipped her hand in the white, leather bag that was slung over her shoulder and pulled out a small pocket knife. The knife was heavy with a silver blade and marble handle, another twisted gift from her brother. However, with her training, it was enough to kill and that was all she needed. She crept slowly into the room, her eyes darting all around.

The fire was on but by the looks of it, not for that long. On the table was an unopened bottle of red wine with two glasses. She turned to close the door when her eyes fell a short figure. She grunted and thrust her knife at the intruder, only for her hand to be caught by the figure's hand.

"I just want to talk," the man said, lowering Amaryllis hand to her side and straightening out his baby blue suit. "We match," he laughed nervously, looking the blue haired woman's jump suit out up and down.

"Why are you here, Cadmus?" she snapped, watching the nervous man move past her and towards the small table and sofa in front of the fire. She watched her ex-lover with a careful eye as he fumbled around with some paper before quickly hurrying over to her again

"I still had the key you gave me and...well, I wanted to show you this," he sighed, a glisten of sadness in his eyes. He offered her a thick binder covered in rainbow diamonds. Amaryllis raised an eyebrow as she looked up from the fabulous looking binder and to the short, stocky man in front of her. Cadmus looked confused for a moment before his blue eyes widened, quickly glancing down at the binder. "Oh, yes, it was classified so the only way I could get the copy out was through my son's binder-"

"What is it, Cad?" Amaryllis asked, slightly frustrated by the blabbering man. It was a wonder how he got the job of Head Gamemaker. Sure, he was an excellent architect but a Gamemaker? she wasn't sure.

"This year's Arena and Parade theme and designs,"

"I can't have this, I will be killed-"

"Then burn it after," the dark skin male snapped, pushing the binder towards the much taller woman. "Please, this is my first year and I need reassurance plus, I know you will love it,"

"So you did this to try and impress me?" Amaryllis asked. "Because I doubt seeing the children I have trained and put so much hard work into just to be killed by one of your glorified mutts is going to that," Amaryllis was stern, glaring at the dark haired man who threw the binder down on the sofa, deflated.

"At least have a drink with me, it cost a lot of money," he said nervously, scratching the back of his neck. Amaryllis opened her mouth to protest but Cadmus cut her off. "Please?" he begged, gesturing towards the two glasses on the table.

"Fine, one glass," the blue haired woman groaned walking over to the sofa and sitting down. Cadmus smiled like a small child as he started to pour their drinks while Amaryllis took her coat and bag off.

* * *

Every time she gave in. Every time he was able to find an emotion so few people could ever hope to experience from her and bring it to the surface and use it to break her down.

As she laid in bed next to Cadmus, she wondered how he was able to do such a thing as making her love him without even trying. That was just Cadmus, though. He just stumbled through life while things went his way without him even knowing. She just wished he would keep his oblivious luck far away from her.

For a girl who had grown over the years to hate love and the weakness that came with the emotion, Cadmus was terrifying. Love was cruel and cold, it made you care for people and become attached only for them to be torn away, whether by death or betrayal. To Amaryllis, love was the worst emotion under pain. Yet, Cadmus did nothing but make her feel the warm, fuzzy feeling until all the pain she felt melted away. That was wrong, though, when you ignore the pain, that's when it hurts more. That is why she broke up with him after all.

He did nothing wrong, Cadmus was one of the only person that never hurt her but that just meant it would hurt more when he betrayed her or was taken away. When he got the job as Head Gamemaker, it posed the perfect excuse. She always told him it was because it was too dangerous to date him with her brother running for President but really, Cadmus was the only boyfriend her brother had ever agreed with but that might have just been because he was easy to manipulate.

Amaryllis sat up in the bed, the early morning light making her white, silk bed sheets shimmer. She looked over to Cadmus who was still asleep next to her, his toned chest coated in the slight fuzz of black hair. His, usually slicked back, black curly hair was now dangling in front of his eyes. She watched his chest move up and down, once again feeling the warm fuzzy feeling so decided to focus on his worst assets instead. There wasn't much. The raven claw wrinkles in the corner of his eyes and large, hooked nose were due to his fear of surgery and the only other things she didn't like was his well groomed white bared and eyelashes, not very stylish. But even that couldn't make her dislike him.

In an attempt to remove him from her mind, she picked up the rainbow binder that had been thrown on the floor after Cadmus had tried to make it read it when they moved up to the bedroom. As she ran her hand along the ridged surface, her blue, chipped nails scraping along the plastic, she thought of Cadmus young son from his previous marriage, Minos and thought about waking him up. She quickly dismissed this thought, trusting that Cadmus would not have left his son alone and still spent the night.

Giving herself a quick nod, she opened the binder and started to read through the Parade outfit theme. By the time Cadmus had woken, she was just finishing up the section on the mutts. The moment she saw him reading the files over her shoulder out of the corner of her eyes, she looked over to him, a large smile on her face.

"Thank you, I love it," she whispered, her eyes glistening in the morning light. Cadmus gave a shy smile, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. In fact, she loved it so much, she allowed the man to walk her through it, explaining every small detail to her.

It was amazing, no, it was beyond amazing. For his first year, he had far surpassed that of any Gamemaker before him. It was cruel, it was twisted, it was strange and exciting but most of all, it was beautiful. He had taken something Amaryllis loved and condensed it into something as small as the Arena. She didn't know how to feel about it, she wanted to scream at him and send him away before she got hurt again but her heart wanted to squeeze him with happiness like she was a little kid again. However, one thing she did know was that no one with a heart was going to succeed this year.


	3. The Warriors and The Warrior Pairs

**Just a short chapter to go with the tribute list. Not the longest as it is my birthday but I hope you still enjoy it.**

Vice President Cowell entered the main hall of the presidential mansion, her aids scrambling after her. Her high heels alerted her guest to her arrival and she strutted through the large, oak doors, the light blue hair on her head bouncing with her every step. Her red eyes fell on the tall, slender man that stood in the centre of the room. "Mr. Skual," Cowell sighed as she stopped in front of him and the small, red velvet pillow he held.

A snake like grin spread across his face, his large mouth reaching just below his cheek bones. His paper thin lips and pasty skin made him resemble a rotting corpse, the years of plastic surgery to make him seem attractive evident on his face. His ghostly grey eyes fell on the old woman as he held the pillow at arms length. "Real gold, just like you asked," he hissed but there was nothing terrifying about his voice but it was uncomfortable, the way he hung on to each letter, rolling it off his tongue slowly.

Cowell could not help but catch sight of his bony fingers and crusty old skin that was starting to resemble scales. On each finger were inch long, yellowed nails that had been sharpened into a point, matching his sharp, yellow, elongated teeth. Everything from the man's slicked, black hair and absent nose gave him a reptilian look to him.

Taking care in her movements around the man, Cowell gave a nod and took the golden crown that was placed on the pillow and head it gently in her hands. It resembled that of a laurel wreath but upon closer inspection, it was more of a tiara than a crown, the back missing. On the front, dangling from a gold chain was the number one engraved on a gold disk. Each leaf had intricate detail, almost like Skual hand painted leaves. Skual may have looked like a human snake but he was the best metal worker in Panem.

"I trust you have the other twenty-three?" Cowell asked, placing the crown back on the pillow.

"They are being shipped here as we speak," Skual growled, baring his teeth at the Vice President.

"We will sell the unclaimed ones in a charity auction, to fund the Victory Tour," she sighed, waving her hand is dismissal of Skual. The man smiled before turning around and handing it to one of the servants who stood behind him. Cowell turned and walked out of the room, a slight skip in her step as she did so. She was still not sold one the Arena but at least the victory crown was worth it's weight in gold. The Arena was proving to be the most expensive yet in everything from mutts to landscaping, Cowell was just pleased she would have stepped down from running the country by the time a victor was announced.

 **Right, please don't get angry if you tribute did not get in. It is my birthday today so I won't even read your hate message, I will just delete it. As for why I didn't accept your character, there is one answer for everyone, they just did not fit with the story. There was not one tribute I disliked and I honestly wanted to accept them all but I could only accept twenty-four and those were the ones that fit into the story plot. I am very sorry if your character did not get in, you are welcome to submit them to other stories or submit them to me again to have the chance of being a victor.**

 **It has been ten years since the Twenty-Fifth Games and there has been nine victors since the victor from my latest story, Lux Hymnoor. I have two already but I am looking for seven more. If you really want your character in this story, feel free to submit your character as a mentor. This is the form.**

 **Name:**

 **Age:**

 **Career or Not:**

 **Games Overview:**

 **I will decide the year and District (Career=1,2,4 and Not=3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12) and they will be added to the blog. I am working on that but it is going to take some time. Congrats to everyone who got in and I am sorry to everyone who did not.**

 **The Warriors:**

 **District One-**

Male: Maurice Powers- 16

Female: Sunbeam "Sun" Feyre- 17

 **District Two-**

Male: Nero Anghal- 17

Female: Evelyn "Eve" Callie Spires-17

 **District Three-**

Female: Annabella Giada-17

Male: Marzio Ottone-15

 **District Four-**

Female: Shelly Bereg-15

Male: Romilda Vasilios-17

 **District Five-**

Female: Nathalie Sibylla-17

Male: Damon Romulus-16

 **District Six-**

Male: Veyran Maverick-17

Female: Loretta Moriko- 17

 **District Seven-**

Male: Grover Lindall-17

Female: Balina Abbot-17

 **District Eight-**

Female: Coutille Harrow-15

Male: Ares Walker-17

 **District Nine-**

Female: Janae Rayon-16

Male: Tore Dante-15

 **District Ten-**

Female: Belinda Herd-16

Male: Pallas Narciso-17

 **District Eleven-**

Female: Clarissa Silvia-16

Male: Vulcan Omiros-17

 **District Twelve-**

Male: Berik Mathews-17

Female: Venus Atwood-16

 **Warrior Pairs-**

Weapons

 **Berik Mathews And Nero Anghel**

Stealth

 **Evelyn Spires and Janae Rayon**

Hand to Hand combat

 **Venus Atwood and Pallas Narciso**

Plants

 **Sunbeam Feyre and Nathalie Sibylla**

Animals

 **Clarissa Silvia and Annabella Giada**

Hunting

 **Maurice Powers and Maybelle Adlenne**

Tracking

 **Veyron Maverick and Vulcan Omiros**

Climbing

 **Grover Lindell and Tore Dante**

Electrical Engineering

 **Loretta Moriko and Marzio Ottone**

Strategy

 **Balina Abbott and** **Shelly Bereg**

Orienteering

 **Belinda Herd and Romilda Vasilios**

General Survival

 **Cautille Harrow and Damon Romulus**


	4. Will Remove Later

**Hey, just a quick chapter to let you know that I have the tributes on the blog now. There is information, that shall be added as the characters are introduced but there are names and photos. The Warrior Pairs section is not done yet, I am working on it, don't worry. You can find the link on the first chapter.**

 **I know they are only photos but feel free to message me with any crushes the tributes would have based on their looks. I have not really done something like this before so the photo's might be a bit messed up. Anyway, let me know what you think and let me know of any crushes your tributes would have.**


	5. District 1 Male

**Short chapter today as I will be busy for the rest of the week, maybe next so I just wanted to put this out so you had something. After Sunbeam's chapter, there will be two tributes per-chapter. How I plan for it to go is the boy's POV's will take place during a single morning and the girls will take place that evening. After that, when we know all the characters and I have got the blog done and story lines all figured out, there will be twelve more chapters, each one being a day before the interviews. It will focus on the relationships of the characters and how the training pairs get on. Let me know of any suggestions as I am new to this and do not know a lot about SYOT's, this is my third.**

 **Please let me know what you think of this chapter and Maurice and remember, feel free to view the blog and let me know what characters would crush on who (purely based on looks). Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Maurice Powers:**

When his name was called, the previously silent District roared with victory. Even his competitors and their families cheered for him, internally nursing their pride. his father joined in, scooping him up in one arm and throwing his small body into the air. As he looked down at the sea of people who had come to see the reaping, a large, childish smile spread across his face, despite the boy's attempts to seem stoic.

When his father lowered him from his shoulder and back onto the stage, a flustered Sage, the District One escort, continued with his speech about Maurice's victory. "Little Maurice Powers showed great strength in every test and excelled far past his fellow competitors," he turned to the child's sobbing mother and excited father, his green lips pierced like he was sucking a lemon. "Congratulations Mr and Mrs Powers." Maurice's father turned to the man, taking his small, soft hand in his oversized ones, shaped by years of diamond mining. He shook the man's hand violently, grinning from ear to ear.

His mother let out a small whimper and she wrapped her arms around his skinny frame and pulled him into a tight hug. "I am so proud of you my boy," she sobbed into his cloth jacket. "I am going to miss you but I know you will come home," she whispered this, like it was some sort of secret that Maurice was going to see her again. As she pulled away, wiping her runny nose on the sleeve of her coat, Sage glided towards the curly haired boy, placing a large, silver mic in front of him. Maurice looked up at him as he gestured for him to go forward and speak.

He let out a small laugh as he grabbed the mic and pressed the cold metal to his lips. "I am going to win!" he cheered, his voice distorted yet his people still cheered and chanted his name. This year, their tributes were a traitor and suicidal but Maurice knew this year going to be different. He would be home again but as a victor.

* * *

Every morning, precisely upon 6am, the tribute house rung with the long drone of twenty-four alarms. Most tributes like Maurice rolled over and slammed their hand into the small white box, their fingerprints being read and allowing it to be shut off. However, there were one or two tributes who had not mastered this technique over the course of ten years and found the need to drag out the piercing sound.

As each alarm was turned off and the house started to spark to life with movement, Maurice could not help but stay wrapped under the covers, the warmth and the well used pillow pulling him back into the depths of sleep. He shut his blue eyes tightly to the sound of clattering cutlery and the low roar of arguing reminding him of where he was. He was in an apartment full of wannabe killers, causing drama and selling their souls in the hope that they would become a fan favorite. The camera's were not due for at least another hour but that did not stop them flaunting their power like peacocks during mating season. It was utterly boring for someone as talented as himself.

Their rooms came with everything growing children would need. Everything but soundproofing, something he had thought about spending his own money to achieve. Sadly, The Capitol barred any attempt he made towards his silent life. At least they allowed the tributes creative freedom with how their rooms looked. Most of the rooms were private, the notion of being invited into another tributes room only meaning one thing and no one wanted to get branded as a couple with someone they were merely friends with. However, this did mean that the bedrooms were their domain, allowing them to go all out on any ventures that The Capitol approved. It also meant Maurice seemed rather dull. He kept his room simple, pastel blue walls, minimalist framed paintings and a few floating shelves that held small trinkets. The only feature he could say was creative was, what he called, the wall of loss, because he was edgy like that. It was nothing big, just a wall of letters from home. The tributes received one each month and instead of piling his in a box, Maurice pinned them to his wall along with any photo's they arrived with. In fact, most of the trinkets that were dotted around his room were from home. Small bits of stone that would cost his family a week of pay but were mere pennies in The Capitol. Despite their lack of worth in the city, he still held onto them, appreciating the time a money that went into choosing them and keeping them as a reminder of where he came from and where he was going. Home.

The Capitol liked to pretend the tributes were home, that the spacious apartment, sprawling gardens, luxaries living conditions and holographic windows could change where they came from. They all remembered home, in some form or another, and it was no this. Here they were reality stars, back in the Districts, we were just another face in the crowd. Once upon a time, being part of the Games and paraded like a cow at a cattle market pleased Maurice but now, he just wanted to go home and spend his life hunting for diamonds for some escort to have implanted into her cheeks. The Warrior life was draining and down right boring. Every waking moment was either having a camera pushed in your face, training or having screaming fangirls pouncing on your from every direction. The small moments like now where he could just sit in the darkness and relax did not make it worth it and neither did a crown situated on his head.

Maurice's windows were set to blackout, allowing his brain to relax and not overload with anger, frustration or boredom that he would be bombarded with questions due to his lack of presence at breakfast. Almost as if on cue, Ares Walker burst through the bedroom door, almost kicking it down as he flooded my room with light. Maurice reeled away from the morning sunrise that blinded him and painted his walls a warm shade of orange.

"Are you ill?" he shouted, announcing him to his far from graceful entrance. The blue eyed boy opened his eyes and scowled at the dark skinned boy who was leaning against the door frame, a few of the other tributes craning their neck to see past his tall frame.

"I'm fine-"

"Then get up, we have a day of training ahead," he laughed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Oh goodie," Maurice sighed. Training everyday with hunting techniques and traps must have been fun for someone from Eight but from a kid who came from One, he had already been training in that area of expertise three years before he was chosen. The boy rolled his brown eyes at him before turning to the crowd of tributes that had gathered out of curiosity.

"I am sorry my friends, it seems poor Maurice is ill, I worry this will affect his chances in the arena...I feel we should inform the public of this matter so they know not to bet on him," he said with a defeated sigh, like it was heartbreaking to see him so weak.

Maurice sat up, squinting from the sunlight. "You wouldn't-"

"So weak, so fragile," Ares sighed shaking his head in disappointment as pulled the door close behind him. Maurice listened to the laughing tributes that stood outside his door and let out a small growl as he lept from my bed, scraping his knees along the soft carpet of his bedroom. He crawled to the large set of chester draws and pulled out a pair of freshly pressed and jeans. Every item of clothing any of the tributes wore was made by hand in District Eight by a talented seamstress' but that did not make the jeans any easier to get on.

He hopped around the room on one leg, grunting as he pushed his leg through the hole and fell backwards onto the bed. Slamming his head into the metal head board. But he did not let that stop him. He raced towards the door, grabbing a shirt from the wardrobe and pulling it over his head as he opened the door. Once he was out and his vision was no longer blocked by cotton, he noticed the group of tributes looking at him with amusement, Ares at the centre.

"It's a miracle," he gasped, wiping away a fake tear he had poked himself in the eye to create.

"You are a dick," Maurice grumbled, scowling at the smiling boy as he walked past.

"But that's why you love me," he grinned, laughing slightly though his pearly white teeth. A small smile playing on his lips as he looked over to him, offering a small wink as he picked up the bacon sandwich Pallas had made him.

* * *

 **I feel the need to point this out, Ares and Maurice are not together, they are joking with each other.**


	6. District 1 Female

**I really need to wrap up Hell Island, two more chapters and I am done. Wanted to get District One sorted before I do anything else. I am also having trouble with my teacher marking my work (he won't do it) and I need those final three bits of work graded to get the grade I need to get into University. Honestly, three more bit of work he has to mark *cries* so although I am done with college work, it is still stressing me out. Anyway, Sunbeam! As you have most likely guessed, these chapters are more world building and getting to know the characters. The chapters after that will delve a lot more into drama. Also, these introductory chapters take place over one day so you might be able to guess what your tributes chapter will involve them doing from what other tributes see them doing. Also, I name drop a fair few characters in this and establish some relationships so keep your eyes peeled. Thank you for all the kind reviews last time, they made me super happy ^_^**

* * *

Sunbeam scowled as she watched Maurice's father throw him into the air, a large, proud smile on his face. Sage tried his best to avoid them, tiptoeing around the happy family as he moved towards the smaller number of girls on the right-hand side of the stage that seemed to stretch for miles. "And now for our girls!" he shouted with glee, as he grimaced at the thought of so many children around him. He never liked children let alone District children with their mucky fingers and ugly faces. Trust him to get moved to Escort duty on a reaping like this one.

As Sage was passed the golden envelope that held the name of the chosen girl, Sunbeam looked up at her mother, her blue eyes wide with fear. Her mother ruffled her hair before kneeling down to her level, a large smile on her face. "I know you did it baby girl and hey, even if you didn't, we will just make sure you can show them who's boss when you volunteer in a few years," she said with a wink before standing up to her full height. Sunbeam gave a weak smile and turned back to the stage, watching Sage pull the name from the envelope.

"SunbeamFeyre!" he shouted, the crowd screaming in excitement but no one louder than the blonde girl herself. She jumped on the spot, cheering, her mother almost in tears as he scooped her up and hugged her tightly, whispering her praises into her ear. As she hugged her mother, she scanned the crowd for her mother's boyfriend. Sadly, every Peacekeeper looked the same from the stage but when she noticed one giving her a well-hidden thumbs up, she could not hold the giggle back. He was her mother's secret boyfriend and could never be anything more due to the rules imposed on Peacekeepers. However, that did not stop him from training Sunbeam and being the only father she really knew after her parents divorced, it made her feel warm inside to know she had made him proud.

* * *

It had been ten years since she had seen her mother or her mother's boyfriend, she knew from the subtle hints her mother dotted throughout the letters that she was still with him but nothing more was ever said about him as The Capitol vetted every letter that was sent in. A Warrior's life was truly closed off from the rest of the world, they were nothing more than trained killers who played to a script to impress the public. They were not treated like humans, they treated like animals who did tricks on command. This could not be more relevant as Sunbeam moved around the apartment building.

The blonde girl was deemed as too uninteresting for the public viewing and the camera's had scampered off to other corners of the house. Most of the Warriors enjoyed these moments of peace but Sunbeam knew that drifting into the background this close to the vote out was dangerous. Sadly for the District One girl, there was nothing entertaining for her to partake in.

She moved through the house, catching glimpses of what the Camera's deemed as interesting material. Pallas was having an interview on the sofa about something that must have been big news as he has three cameras's on him and was currently on air, live. She could have inserted herself into the interview but that risked making her seem needy.

In the girl's section of the house, Annabella from District Three was talking to a single camera about her robotic dragon, the baby blue goggles protecting her eyes from the sparks it spat from its mouth. Her boyfriend, Nero from District Two stood behind her, a proud smile on his face as he watched his girlfriend of five years construction work perfectly. It baffled Sunbeam how Pallas was getting more screen time than Annabella when the girl's handy work was far more dangerous than whatever the boy from Ten was talking about. Unless it was a publicity stunt, she wouldn't put it past any of the tributes during a time like this, anything to get the votes in.

Sunbeam gave a sigh as she moved on from the happy couple and out into the midday sun, the humid air almost taking the girl's breath away. If there was one good thing about being a Warrior it was the garden of the apartment. It was floating sixteen stories above the rest of The Capitol and no matter the weather was always green and full of life.

Sunbeam slipped off her pink, high heeled shoes and left them by the glass sliding door. The hot wood on the decking burnt her feet so she moved across it far from gracefully, almost leaping into the soft, cool grass. As she gave a sigh in relief, her heart raced as she looked around the garden for any camera's that might have caught her little blunder. She wanted attention but not that kind. The only person who seemed to see it was Clarissa from District Eleven but Sunbeam was not sure if they were any better. Since they were children, Sunbeam had always had a crush on Clarissa, Romilda too but at least she had a chance with Clarissa with her being open to things like that and being bisexual herself. The boy from Four took the Game too seriously to even give anyone a chance with him.

The freckled girl gave a small smirk as Sunbeam brushed herself off and took a seat next to her, clearing her throat as she did so. Sunbeam turned away while Clarissa lent back, seemingly not bothered by the burning wood she placed her hands on and watched Damon from District Five walk with a camera, having an interview.

"This is the garden where we sometimes spar, I always win, unbeaten...they call me." like most things that spilled from the blonde male's mouth this was a lie and it seemed like everyone but Damon could see right through them.

"He still sleeps with a teddy!" Clarissa shouted. The camera quickly panned over to get her in shot as Damon let out a small gasp.

"Stop telling people that!" he screamed stomping his muscular leg into the dirt below.

"So you are admitting to it?"

"She is lying," he laughed to the camera nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's go somewhere else, shall we?" Damon said, leading the camera away from Sunbeam and Clarissa. The further it got, the less chance she had of being caught on the camera today. When they were about to round the corner she shouted out something she did not think about but did not regret either.

"Will you go on a date with me?" she shouted in Clarissa's face, the dark haired girl seeming caught off guard but a sly smile quickly grew on her lips as she agreed to the date. They both had the same idea, it didn't have to be romantic, just enough to get the dumb Capitol to vote for them both. If they both put their all into the relationship in the next few days, they would make it to the final two, no trouble at all.


	7. District 2 Male and Female

**Today we have the District 2 pair! Sorry, this update took a while, I really want this story to be the best I can be so I am taking my time with it. Also, random bit of information, I should hear back if I got into University soon, so finger crossed! Anyway, I hope you like the next two warriors and be sure to tell me your thoughts! Next up we have District Three.**

 **As for the plan of action, this is the rough draft of what you can expect. Maybe subject to change if I decide to add and take things away. These are the next to sections I have planned (this is section one).**

 **Section 2: Mentors. Three chapters, four POV's in each. So one mentor from each District will get a POV here, the other one will get theirs later.**  
 **Section 3: Warrior Pairs. Six chapters, two pairs in each chapter. It will take place over a day (like section 1) and will show you how they all work in a woodland style environment (does not mean that is the arena) and how all the pairs work together. Also allows you to get to know the characters better.**

 **After those two sections will come the fun, pre-game events. Such as chariot rides, interviews (but only with 12 tributes) but I will touch more on those when we get past the next two sections, which I hope does not take too long. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Nero Anghel, District 2 Male**

Nero never wanted this, he was only a child, only just grasping the concept of death. It terrified him, the idea of him being the one to kill people or die himself making him. His father comforted him, telling him that it was going to be okay, that he would be a victor and once he was home, they could learn to forget about it together.

The only reason his parents volunteered him and he stood upon that stage was because his older sister, who had been training with Astrid, the victor of The 9th Hunger Games, had not been chosen for the 25th. This left his family desperate for a Victor.

His father stroked his blonde hair as the crowd cheered for their favorites. However, when his name was called out for the male tribute, he felt the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. His parents hugged each other, proud of their achievements while Nero tried to tell himself it was going to be okay. He hoped he would not be picked, his parents would be angry but he could have trained up until he was eighteen that way, finding another reason to not go into the Games. Sadly, as the crowd cheered him on, it became all too clear to the small boy that he was never coming home without being a victor.

* * *

 **10 Years Later...**

Nero laid on his bed, his head hanging off the edge as he focused on the nature books that lay open on the floor. As his eyes scanned the page, taking in every word as he felt a long, blunt nail being traced along the skin of his back. It moved in a spiral but then morphed into something else with sharp edges and circular joints.

Nero craned his neck slightly, glancing at that blue haired girl who sat on his legs, her tongue out in concentration. "What you doing there?" he asked, turning his attention back to the book on the floor.

"A blueprint," Annabella Giada mumbled in response and she continued to concentrate on her work. She stopped for a few seconds before digging her nail into Nero's skin once more, making him flinch slightly.

"And you don't have any paper for that?" Nero gasped, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Hm, in my room...but I like your room...it's why I sleep here," she sighed, pulling back from her drawing to take a look at it for a moment. "You seem a bit gloomy this morning, what's wrong?" she questioned, biting her nail as she was deep in thought

"Nothing, what made you think that?"

"The first thing you did was pull out that book and start reading, you always do push ups, the change of routine means something is bothering you," she said this with a lack of emotion, already knowing she was correct about her observation. Nero knew whatever he said, she would not believe. However, he could not let her know the reason why he was a bit out of it that morning.

When he first arrived at The Capitol, the first Warrior he spoke to was Loretta Moriko from District Six. The two had remained close friends throughout the ten years in The Capitol, regularly meeting in the garden to talk about nature and sometimes have competitions to name every bird in the sky. He was the only person in a relationship that The Capitol wanted to pair with someone else, Loretta. There was a campaign for him to get with Loretta but thankfully, The Capitol had not written that into the script yet. They were nothing more than friends but that friendship is what had led him to feel so down that day.

Loretta was dating Pallas Narciso from District Ten. From afar, and from what the public saw, they looked like the perfect couple, always together and always having fun. However, Pallas had informed Nero the previous night about his plans to propose to Loretta, something that made Nero and Grover, who was also in the seating area at the time, feel uneasy.

The hard truth was, Pallas suffered from multiple personality disorder. In Front of the cameras and as long as no one brought up their impending doom, Pallas was the sweetest guy you could ever meet. However, Nero was not the only one to see the other side of him. During the ten year period, everyone had. When reminded that his death was soon coming, the boy always became enraged, taking it out on anyone close to him and most of the time, that was Loretta.

Everyone in the house had tried for years to get Loretta to leave Pallas, even Damon who did not care about anyone but himself. However, Loretta refused to leave him, insisting that she could control him. However, whenever she slept in his room, she would always walk out covered in bruises, black eyes or hand marks around her neck after one of Pallas nightmares, things would then spiral out of control. Romilda would always attempt to defend her, trying to beat a bewildered Pallas up, only to be tackled down to the ground by Nero and his Warrior partner, Berik. But the hulking mass of a man would only stop when Loretta begged him to. Then it would all end with Pallas declaring death on whoever had laid a hand on his love.

Nero could not blame Pallas, they were all messed up in their own way. However, Loretta's beatings had become more frequent as the Game drew closer and to know he was powerless to stop his best friend marrying the same person who tried to kill her every night, it was hard. Grover had suggested placing a baby monitor in their shared room so they could hear whenever Pallas attacked her. However, that idea had been barred by the rest of the group in fear that Grover might want to install the device in a couple's bedroom for other reasons rather than Loretta's safety.

Annabella and Nero sat in silence for a few more minutes, as he pretended to read about the armadillo, until Annabella rolled off him and onto his king size bed, gazing up at the ceiling. She huffed and sighed a few times, trying to gain his attention, but he ignored her until she decided to address him. "Is it about the Games?" she whispered, her breath catching after she spoke these words like she was worried what type of reaction he would give her.

"The Games don't bother me," Nero lied, not looking up at his girlfriend, knowing that his eyes would give him away. Everyone was bothered about the Games, anyone who said they were not was lying and they all knew that.

Annabella clicked her tongue before rolling on her side to look away from him. "It does not bother you that in under three weeks, twelve of us will be voted out by the public, immediately executed, the other twelve forced to fight to the death-"

"See, that's where they are wrong," Nero groaned, rolling over and placing his head on her shoulder. "They made a mistake by putting us together, no one would sever our ten-year relationships for a stupid Game," he said with a forced smile. He was trying to make Annabella feel better about something they could not avoid but she was always too smart for that.

She pushed him away, rolling over to face him with her eyes wide in disbelief. "The prize isn't some useless cash, Nero...this is life we are talking about. A chance to live and not die young, to see the world beyond this stupid apartment. To see our family again. You see, it does not matter how close everyone is, when panic, fear, and hunger set it, we will kill the ones we love the most because that's what we have been trained to do."

* * *

 **Evelyn Callie Spires, District 2 Female**

Evelynn Spires was the richest little girl in the District, second richest child of her age group, the first being the mayor's son. Her family owned the largest forgery in the District so from a young age, weapons had been part of her life. However, her family always wanted more from their daughter rather than owning their business. They wanted her to be a victor.

Her three years of prior training gave her some upper hand but not much, coming from a Career District and all. But none the less, she remained in front, no matter how close the gap between her and the other children was. She finished first on every task set so when she stood on the stage with her proud family, it was no competition who the female tribute would be.

When her name was called out, her family pulled her into a large embrace, her father cheering on his daughter with pride. And as she stood there, side by side with the dashing young man, Nero Anghel, she knew one thing. She would be coming home. She was not a Career or a Warrior, she was a Victor.

* * *

 **10 years later...**

Evelyn hated Annabella with the passion of three thousand burning suns, or so she said. She watched the blue haired girl squeal as Nero swung her round, his hand on her perfect waist. Just everything about the girl infuriated Evelyn. She was a fan favorite with her giddy, smartass nature and good looks yet she was by far the weakest warrior out of the group. The girl never trained, just spending her time working on the useless contractions she made. Her good figure was kept purely by luck, nothing like the training Evelyn had to go through the stay in shape. However, at the root of all the hatred, even she could admit it was jealousy, but Evelyn believed it to be justified jealousy.

Evelyn mutilated the ice cream in the small tub, tearing it apart in frustration as she remembered her courting of Nero. She made sure to be extra nice to him and for once in her life, pandered to someone else other than herself, doing everything he asked of her. It worked too as Nero asked her on four dates before settling for the spunky Annabella. Evelyn, even five years on, struggled to understand what Annabella did to gain Nero's affections, stealing them from the dark haired beauty. Not only that, the rejection made her look like a fool and made her seem easy. Even now, Grover still thought a flash of his muscular arms was enough to get Evelyn to just hop into his bed, already undressed. And it was all Annabella's fault.

True, there were many people Evelyn didn't like, mainly anybody who were all brawn and no brains, like Grover Lindall of Seven and Berik Mathews of Twelve. However, she hated anyone who looked at Nero in a remotely romantic way. Due to this, Loretta was also on her hate list. Over the years, Evelyn had come to realise the girl's heart lay with Pallas but she still had a closeness to Nero that Evelyn longed to have, something she felt she deserved and was so close to achieving.

As the girl sat there engrossed in her hatred, she failed to notice Damon Romulus of District Five shuffling by her said until she was almost breathing on her face. Evelyn let out a small scream as she brought her elbow towards the boy's face as she rose. However, Damon was as well trained as her and saw it coming, grabbing her wrist and twisting her arm behind her neck before forcing her head into the table, pinning her down. "You are a dead man, Damon," Evelyn seethed at the blonde haired male.

Damon gave a little chuckle as he leant in close to the girl's ear. "Remember the rules, no fighting until the arena," he whispered with pride, a slight giggle rumbling in the back of his throat as he pulled away and freed the girl.

"What do you want, squirt?" Evelyn grumbled as she wiped away the ice cream that had been smudged on the back of her neck.

Damon looked around nervously, like he was worried someone might be listening. "Can we talk in your room?" Although such a request from anyone else would have been quickly rejected, Evelyn had been friends with Damon since they were young, respecting his smarts and brawn. So when she saw Annabella trying not to snigger at Damon beating her, she quickly gave a nod and lead him towards her room.

In the apartment, the boys were kept separately from the girls although The Capitol did not work hard to keep it that way. Couples or one night stands sleeping in different rooms was not an uncommon thing. The Capitol did not seem to care either, as long as the Warriors produced good ratings and didn't catch anything, they were free to do whatever they wanted in that department. They must have realized that telling twenty-four hormonal teenagers with short lives to keep things to themselves was not going to work. However, Evelyn was one of the few who had no given into the urges, maybe if Nero had chosen her over Annabella but no one else grabbed her attention in the group. Damon was the next possible choice but she liked him as a friend, nothing more, friends in the environment she was raised in was rare, well, true friends anyway. She wasn't willing to lose that for some action. That could wait until after she won.

Evelyn's room was the second along on the corridor, representing the District that over the years, she had become detached to. She didn't call herself a Career, she was a warrior and the people around her were either weak or strong based on their performance, she no longer judged based on District. Those were merely hometowns that did little to define their personality or skill.

Back in Two, people would have expected her room to be painted in the blood of her enemies, human skulls and weapons as the only decoration. However, Evelyn's bedroom was painted a beautiful, sea green colour, her furniture white and walls adorned with white fairy lights. It may have been surprising to other people but Evelyn was fine with having an average teenagers bedroom. She didn't need to show that she was a killer from her appearance, she saved that for her deadly performance.

As the pair entered her room, Damon rushed over to her window, gazing out of the long, rectangular glass at the city below. The bustling sea of people that moved far beyond Tribute Walk, most likely excited for that night's episode, maybe even excited to watch some of the people they had seen for ten years die at the hands of their friends. As these thoughts rushed through the taller male's mind, his hand drifted over to the pile of clothes next to him, picking up a silk dressing gown and running his thumb along it.

"What did you want to talk to me about then?" Evelyn asked her blue eyed friend who quickly pulled his hand away from her laundry, blushing slightly at the idea of what his hand was touching.

"You like Nero still," he stated, his eye flickering over to the midday sun that was reflecting off the skyscrapers outside. Evelyn's mouth swung open as she looked at her friend, puffing out her chest.

"You read my diary!"

"No I swear!" Damon shouted, his hands out infront of him in a display of surrender. "Grover told me-"

"Grover read my diary?" Evelyn squeaked.

"Yes he also steals your dirty underwear-"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I only found out this morning but that is not the point!" Damon growled, getting the girls attention back. "If you want Nero back, I know how to help."

Evelyn, sat down on the bed, her face still red from learning about Grover snooping around her room but intrigued by Damon's proposal. "Go on."

* * *

 **District 2:**

 **Nero Anghel-17**

 **Evelyn "Eve" Callie Spires- 17**

 **Tributes Mentioned:**

 **Annabella Giada, District 3**

 **Lorette Moriko, District 6**

 **Pallas Narciso, District 10**

 **Romilda Vasilios, District 4**

 **Grover Lindall, District 7**

 **Damon Romulus, District 5**

 **Berik Mathews, District 12**


	8. District 3 Male and Female

**Our first outlier District! The update was a lot faster this time as I am trying to get the reapings/introductions done as fast as I can. Today we meet Marzio Ottone and Annabella Giada, they are both Warrior Partners in Electrical Engineering. Oh, and while we are on that topic, the rule about a tribute's Warrior Partner being the only ally they get is revoked. While planning, I realized it backs me into too many corners and stifles the story lines I can do.**

 **HOWEVER! Allying with your partner brings many benefits. This will be talked more about later on but I can't explain now without spoiling the arena.**

 **Anyway, enjoy this chapter and be sure to tell me your thoughts!**

* * *

 **Marzio Ottone, District Three Male.**

Marzio Ottone stood nervously on the stage with his parents, his mother holding him close as they waited for the escort to call out the male tribute's name. His family never meant for him to get that far, like most people in the District. They just wanted to get the money from volunteering their son but instead, he was in the final three, one of them due to go into the Games.

As the escort pulled the name free from it's paper tomb, Marzio felt his breath hitch. "Marzio Ottone!" the escort cheered but no one said anything back, the crowd silent as they watched the boy's mother sink to her feet, her body shaking as she sobbed from hearing her son's name. The other families, instead of cheering him on, comforted his family instead.

Marzio turned to hug his mother but was pulled towards the microphone. He was now Capitol property, his parents had no custody of him.

 **10 Years Later...**

Mazio sauntered out of his room, his leather combat boots squeaking on the wooden floor of the tribute house. All around him, people rushed to and throw, flipping through scripts the camera crews had given them and arguing their case when it came to things they didn't want to partake in. As the dark haired boy leaned against the door frame, his brown, almond shaped eyes darted among the tributes until they were met with Venus Atwoods of Twelve, Ice blue irises. The dark haired girl hurried over to him, cradling a small, tablet device in her hands, her face panicked.

"Can you fix it for me, please?" she asked, holding out the sleek, black tablet that's screen was flashing red.

Marzio looked at the device from over his sunglasses and frowned. "Did you do a virus sweep like I told you to?" the girl's face dropped as she cast her eyes down to the tablet.

"I forgot," she sighed. Venus was a smart girl, someone Marzio admired in that area but when it came to technology, the girl was useless, unfortunately. The Asian boy frowned as he stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his skinny, black jeans. He was used to being the tech guy in the household but during an episode so close to the Games, no one could really afford the lack of screen time. However, after looking at the crew setting up and assuming his theory about the problem was correct, he knew what to do.

"Okay, come in," he said, opening his door for Venus to hurry inside, himself quickly following suit. So much so was Marzio used to clients begging him to fix their technology, he had purchased and furnished his room with chairs. Venus took a seat in the comfy, red velvet seating that took up most of the boy's room. Marzio on the other hand seemingly glided across the room, pulling a large desk light out as he sat at his work station.

Venus craned her neck as Marzio wired up the tablet to a projector, the old machine sparking to life, literally. It projected a scrolling image of white text, words that included symbols, similar to modern Panemian. It was a language Marzio knew all too well. It was Ancient American English, a few words that stumped most of the population but to Marzio, it made him smile. Since he was a child, the language had fascinated him, something only the most gifted inventors understood. So, once he was shipped off to The Capitol, he made decoding it his hobby. Even now, there were certain words and phrases he struggled to understand but with good old fashioned common sense, he was able to decipher most of it. After ten years of learning, he read it with ease, his fingers typing in the ancient language without even looking at the projected keys.

It was fairly generic that both of the tributes from Three both were placed in the Electrical Engineering skill sector but no one expected anything different from Marzio. His Grandfather, aside from being a large conspiracy theorist, was a mastermind when it came to technology, teaching a little Marzio. He was against Marzio being volunteered for the Games, even if his father assured him they would never pick him. Sadly, the boy's grandfather passed away a year after he was chosen, leaving an empty hole in Marzio's heart, something he filled with cheap one night stands and plenty of technology. He knew if his grandfather could see him now, he would be riddled with disappointment. His loving grandson nothing more than a nervous wreck, drinking and fucking himself towards his possible death. A fate he could not escape.

Marzio thought about if his grandfather was still alive and saw him. "Take those glasses off boy, you are inside!" he would shout as he ripped the blacked out sunglasses off his face and crushed them underfoot. The thought made a small, worn out smile form on his face as he thought about his Grandfather's quivering lip as he tried to look threatening. People said Marzio had inherited this, his lip making it look like he was chewing, his puffed up cheeks resembling that of a bratty child when he tried to seem scary. That's why he preferred for his machines to do the handy work for him.

"It should work perfectly now...just, next time, do a virus check weekly, like I said," Marzio sighed, turning around and handing the tablet back to Venus. "It is an old machine and needs looking after more than most."

Venus gave a large grin as she took the tablet, marveling at the fact the red, flashing screen had now been replaced and tranquil forest. "Thank you, Marzio...you can have my dessert tonight!" Venus cheered. Marzio gave a little nervous laugh as he waved her off, blushing slightly.

"It was nothing, really." and with that, Venus rushed out of the door, shutting the door behind her, leaving Marzio to himself to work on the electric spear Berik had requested.

* * *

 **Annabella Giada, District Three Female.**

 _Annabella gave a childish grin as she watched the other children flock to the city square, some looking broken while some looked excited. Annabella had no interest in the Games, only coming to understand them in the past year. However, the fact she fit into the age bracket made her feel special and she refused to be left out._

 _As she went to walked towards the crowd, her father grabbed her by the arm, his eyes teary as he held her volunteer money. "Don't do this," his whispered, tears forming in his eyes._

As the escort cheered her victory in being chosen, Annabella buried her face into her single father's coat. Thick, salty tears streaming from her eyes as she sniffled. The escort gave a sigh, tapping his foot on the wooden stage in frustration.

"I will come home, daddy," she whispered as two Peacekeepers pulled her away from her father's embrace, Marzio's parents comforting him.

 **10 Years Later...**

Annabella ran through the wheat field, the tall plants whipping at her bare thighs. She refused to look behind her, the sound of her pursuer grunting as he trampled everything in his path barreling towards the blue haired girl. She kept her eyes focused on the forest that was about a meter away, the dense cover promising safety. However, despite not feeling worn out or strained, her feet refused to go any faster, not even flinching as she screamed at them to hurry up. She glanced around her for places she could dart into but the wheat was far too short to conceal her, the woods was the only way she was going to escape. However, when she was close enough to the tree line that she could touch the assorted bushes, the dew on the leaves rolling onto her fingers, she was pulled backward.

The attacker flung her behind him, her body flailing through the air until it came into contact with the hard ground. Instead of wincing in pain, the girl attempted to scramble to her feet. Sadly, her movement seemed restricted, her body paralyzed as Maurice, holding a large battle axe above his head came towards her. He smiled at his defenseless victim, his mouth seemingly unhinging as a loud, screeching noise shattered the still silence from before.

With the terrifying noise still tearing at her eardrums, Annabella lifted her head to look at the clear blue sky, the burning sun shimmering above her. The girl glanced back over to Maurice but the curly haired boy just stood there, sparking like he was a robot that was malfunctioning, his eyes burning bright with flames. Annabelle continued to watch in horror as the boy melted before her very eyes, his metallic frame rocking back and forth before tumbling down towards the blue eyed girl.

Annabella's eyes shot open, her body jerking before she sat up in a panic and looked around a room for Maurice's battle axe. However, all she found was her small dragon the desk letting out a metallic scream as sparks flew out from its joints. She patted blindly on the bedside table until she found a small controler, aiming it at her creation and shutting it down.

As the room fell silent once more, Annabella gave a large sigh and swung her legs off the bed. She leaned over, cradling her upset stomach as she thought about the terrifying image of Maurice. It was not the District One male she knew, he was a monster, the attractive male warped to terrify her and give her another sleepless night. She had similar dreams before and everyone was someone trying to kill her during the Games, even Nero. He said he loved her and although Annabella was not sure if he loved her enough to give his life for her. People liked to throw the saying around but when it came down to it, how many would really allow themselves to die to save the one they loved? Annabella was not even sure if she could kill herself for the love of her life. She would never know until it came down to it and that was something that terrified her.

When her body had stopped shaking, she rose to her feet and slid her silk dressing gown over her skinny, fragile arms and made her way towards the seating arena. The truth very few people knew about Annabella was that she was suffering from severe paranoia and sleepless nights and sleep paralysis had become common things. It was easy for an outsider to call her weak but when every second of the day she was plagued with the notion that in a matter of weeks, she could be dead, killed long before her time by someone who was just frightened and wanted to go home. She wanted to say she was strong and deadly but she was the weakest tribute there and everyone knew that.

As she entered the tribute lounge, tying her dressing gown, her eyes fell on a dark haired girl who sat in front of the TV. "Hello, Coutille," Annabella said with a sigh to her fellow tribute who was rewatching a series of old Capitol Cartoons.

The girl looked up with her green eyes and smiled. "You are up late, you okay?"

"Yes," Annabella lied, just forcing a smile on her face. "Just had a silly nightmare-"

"Ah," Coutille sighed, nodding her head and muting the TV that showed a baby hitting a cartoon cat over the head. "I am sure everyone is having them," she said this with such a calm tone and warm grin that Annabella felt safe and warm. To the point that she could take a seat next to the girl.

"I wouldn't say that everyone else here has trained-"

"Lack of fear does not exist, everyone, even the bravest warrior in the world has nightmares, it is what makes even evil people part of the human race human...nightmares are common when you are being punished for something you did not do." Coutille grumbled the last part, her face becoming grim. However, she quickly regained her smile and turned to the pretty girl.

"Hm, well I doubt they dream about people killing them-"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Coutille asked but Annabella just shook her head, looking ashamed at herself. "Well, this is my two cents, I think if you can make it past the elimination, you have a shot, you don't need to always be deadly to win."

"I doubt people will vote for me-"

"No matter how you feel on the inside, you are a likable girl with a prize boyfriend and have you ever tried to make something deadly?"

Annabella had to think about this for a second before shaking her head with defeat. "I like making cute dragons-"

"Then make something deadly, I don't expect you to use it in the arena but building it and promising the audience an interesting death, you might be able to sway the odds in your favor."

* * *

 **District 3:**

Marzio Ottone, 15

Annabella Giada, 17

 **Tributes Mentioned:**

Venus Atwood, District 12

Berik Mathews, District 12

Coutille Harrow, District 8

Nero Anghel, District 2


	9. District 4 Male and Female

**District Four! I am on a roll! I hope you are enjoying reading this, I am so proud of this so far and I am so committed to it. As for** Belinda's **face claim, I am changing that, it will be done by the end of this week. I think that is all I have to say for now. Enjoy Romilda and Shelly.**

* * *

 **Romilda Vasilios, District Four Male**

"Romilda Vasilios!" the escort called the small family of fishermen, pushing their terrified adopted son towards the microphone. He tried to fight it but his family picked him up, making the forceful act seem more like a sign of victory. The truth was, the family had become poor due to the overpopulated pool of fisherman in the District. They did not catch the best fish nor did they have a big boat, meaning they could not compete against the rich families. However, by giving Romilda up, their nephew and cousin, they had enough money to compete. It was not easy for them to do but they had complete faith in the boy and they felt that sacrifice was needed to keep the family fed and housed.

However, as Romilda watched the distressed crowd of people he only felt betrayed. How could a family give up their child in return for a small amount of money and still say they loved him? Part of him decided right there and then that even if he won, he would never step foot in District Four again.

 **10 Years Later...**

Romilda scanned the script he had been given and frowned. In the scenario printed before him, he had to sweep in to take Grover's side when he was rejected by Nathalie Sibylla, saying she was being elitist by turning him down. The stocky male glanced over to the dark haired girl, her skin pale. A stunt like this was dangerous, if there was high demand for her and Grover to be a couple, The Capitol would force it on them and no one wanted their relationships to be dictated by The Capitol. Romilda knew that all too well. Grover walked past Nathalie and gave the girl a small wink, making her flush red with anger.

At least he knew Nathalie would not hold it against him, everyone knew the scripts were fake. Romilda was like a big brother to everyone in the group, taking charge and stopping everyone from killing each other prematurely. It hurt him to degrade Nathalie like she had no choice over her feelings or body, even if it was just for the entertainment of the masses.

Romlida gave a defeated sigh, agreeing to the role he would be forced to play and made his way down the maze of corridors. He passed the bedrooms and made his way into the "backstage" section. A place where the Warriors were prepared for the big screen that always smelt of singed hair and lingering body spray. Despite the fact it was never seen by the audience, the Capitol clearly had too much money and built the small section with shimmering stone and glass floors. It was no more than an oversized dressing room.

He unfolded the script, glancing up to make sure his path was clear and started to recite his lines. "How do you respect a man to act when your dress is that short?" he faked laughed, before grimacing at the words. Was this entertainment to them? Well, he should have known from the fact that they classed children killing each other as a national pastime. However, he still felt shocked every time he read drama like this.

The boy scratched his head in frustration as she walked along the quiet corridor until a flash of blonde hair came into view, catching him off guard. He spun around on his, moving around them and behind them. It was a defensive move that ended in the unexpected attacker being stabbed. However, this was no cause for defense and it was not an attacker.

Loretta Moriko stood before him, her eyes wide with fright as she tried to take in how fast the stocky male had maneuvered around her. The girls long, blonde hair was tied in a bun and her face was caked with makeup, odd for her since The Capitol took a more natural look with her. However, Romilda then noticed the slight discolouration around her eye along with slight swelling. His blue eyes moved down her neck, taking in the crudely hidden redness around her throat.

"Loretta-"

"They say the cameras will be able to hide it," Loretta cut him off, moving her eyes away from the man and casting them to the floor. Romilda moved closer, clasping her face in hands and tilting it towards him. He looked her in the eyes so she could clearly how close he was to breaking after everything the Warrior program has put him through.

"They shouldn't have to," he whispered. He held eye contact with the girl for a few more seconds before she pulled away, breaking eye contact with him, pulling her long sleeve top down. Romilda was sure she was hiding more wounds from her relationship with Pallas.

Romilda's face flushed red, stomping his foot on the floor before turning to walk away with a violent strut. He could tell by the lack of footsteps that Loretta had not moved on and a few seconds she spoke to him.

"He is not a bad person you know," she said, causing Romilda to halt but not look back. "He doesn't mean it...I love him-"

"I know," Romilda sighed, looking over his shoulder at the girl. "That is the only reason he is not dead...I said I would never let anyone hurt you-"

"You lost the right to be protective a long time ago," she said, tears forming in her ice blue eyes before turning and storming back into the main complex of the tribute house. Romilda's body started to shake as he watched her leave before quickly and violently scrunching up his script and throwing it at the wall. He slipped down the wall, anger that verged on uncontrollable rushing through the veins of the ill tempered boy. He was just sick of everything the Warrior had made him become and everything he had lost. However, the training, fake reality show and loss of family were nothing compared to the pain of losing Loretta.

The two had been friends since they met on the train to The Capitol, even trying to fake results to get in the same Warrior pair. When they were ten, Romilda asked her out and they stayed together until they were fourteen. They could have stayed together until now but The Capitol, as always, had to put their own twist on the cute romance.

They made Loretta and Romilda take part in a stunt, breaking up for a week before getting back together. Neither wanted to do it but the fear of being whipped until they bled for disobeying orders was worse. However, Romilda would take a thousand whippings to take his obedience back. The stunt was a big hit, ratings through the roof and popularity in Romilda the highest they had ever been. People liked him as the single, good looking man. Due to this, The Capitol asked Romilda to break up with Loretta, cutting any form of romantic relationship with the girl or face guaranteed elimination, not matter his popularity. To foolishly protect himself, he broke up with Loretta, not being able to tell the girl the truth and leaving her with a broken heart.

Now here he was, watching the girl he still cared so deeply about taking beatings every night by Pallas, her bipolar boyfriend who didn't even know he was doing it. Meanwhile, Romilda dreaded every second the phone rang in the fear it would be a call for him to go and pleasure some rich Capitol man or woman, pretending he had no feelings for Loretta. It was an utterly grim existence and he could not see it getting it any better if he won. However, some deep rooted, natural instinct told him to fight and live, to not let his last breath be full of regret.

* * *

 **Shelly Bereg, District Four Female**

"The female tribute for District Four is...Shelly Bereg!" the young girl screamed in happiness, jumping up and down on the spot. The other families smiled with approval for the victorious girl until she turned to their children, sticking her tongue out.

"Losers!" Shelly cheered, creating the shape on an 'L' on her forehead. The parents frowned, pulling their children away while Shelly's parents apologized in embarrassment. Shelly turned away from them, skipping towards the microphone and holding out her hand to Romilda. The blonde boy took with care, the girl violently shaking it with a proud looking in her eye. "I am Shelly and I am going to win, not you!" she shouted in the boy. Not meaning to offend him, her mother classed it as confidence.

 **10 Years Later...**

"She doesn't love you," Shelly Bereg seethed, her lips twisted into an evil grin. Pallas glanced over to her before looking away and pretending he did not hear her. Shelly frowned, her bottom lip sticking out. "She is sleeping with Romilda-"

"No, she isn't," Pallas sighed but this just edged Shelly on, she could tell by the tone of his voice she was starting to get to him. She leaned back in her chair, a soft grin on her face as she looked up at the boy.

"What? You think she would like you over him? Heck, I bet she even thinks about him when you fuck her...I mean, if she even settles for your dick now-" Pallas threw the spatula on the floor of the kitchen, it clattering to the floor as he turned to face the girl.

"Pallas!" Ares shouted, his voice begging for the man to not switch and have a violent episode.

"Aw, come one, I want the people at home to see...how you say, his other side," Shelly laughed, twirling her brown, curly hair around in her finger. Pallas looked confused while Ares dived off the sofa and pulled the camera man towards his room.

"I feel a shirtless photoshoot coming on!" he cheered as he followed them down the hallway to his room. Sherry scowled at him out the corner of her eyes, her face red with anger.

"Just ignore her, Pallas, she is nothing but a bully," Belinda sighed, not even looking up from the book she read with such care. Shelly couldn't help but frown, what right did she have to call her a bully? She knew she was but she also felt angered that Belinda felt it was her place to judge her.

"Just because you don't have anything interesting about you," Shelly seethed, narrowing her eyes at the girl. However, Belinda just ignored her, licking her fingers and turning the page of her book about a teenage wizard. This did nothing but anger Shelly more.

"My, you are all so boring," she grumbled, rising to her feet and leaving the two annoyed Warriors to themselves. Sherry was not a bad person, by no means but she was also the only one who seemed to understand that no one was here to make friends.

At the end of it, there would only be one victor so that meant there was no room for friends. It was cliche to say she built up walls to keep people out. She just did not like many people and had no interest in making friends with anyone. It was not that she did not like certain Warriors but she saw no point in getting attached. She forced her parents to volunteer her not to make friends and to die in that arena but to survive and achieve what she set out to do. Sadly, friends did not factor into that victory. However, allies could.

When she saw Damon and Eve walking towards her, she already had a slight incline of what it was about. The two never really spoke to her and no one started speaking to someone this close to the Games without searching for an alliance.

"Heard you are up to your old tricks again," Damon said, standing in front of Shelly, his muscular arms crossed. Shelly rocked back and forth on her feet, a sheepish smile on her face. "Hm, well we want you to use your drama making skills to split Nero and his little lass over there, up-"

"You said _you_ were going to do that," growled Eve, showing her clear distrust and disliking for Shelly but this just made the girl smile.

"Chu, shush...In return, we will help you with making everyone turn on each other and look bad-"

"We also want to have immunity from your cruel lies, wait, in fact, we want you to make us look good. Because we ain't helping _you_ for a single reward," Eve said with a stern voice, making Damon flinch in fear for how Shelly would react. However, the dark haired girl gave a simple, sweet smile.

"Only if you protect me in the arena,"

Eve opened her mouth to speak but Damon cut in with a large, nervous grin on his face. "Ah, so it's a deal then?"

"Deal," Shelly replied with a sly smile.

"Deal," Eve sighed in reply. Yes, allies were fine because unlike friends, they were easy to kill when they outlived their usefulness.

 **District 4:**

 **Romilda Vasilios,17**

 **Shelly Bereg, 15**

 **Tributes mentioned:**

 **Belinda Herd, District 10**

 **Loretta Markio, District 6**

 **Pallas Narciso, District 10**

 **Ares Walker, District 8**

 **Damon Romulus, District 5**

 **Evelyn Callie Spires, District 2**


	10. District 5 Male and Female

**District Five People! Today we have Damon and Nathalie. A few things before we start.**

 **First off, thank you for all your wishes about the university thing, I am proud to say I got into my first choice and I will be starting during mid-September this year!**

 **Second, the blog. It has been updated with the mentors (and Belinda's FC). The victors there will be featured during this story and Nine Missing Victors. So far I have six victors. Leotta Queen from District Two is mine but the rest are user submitted, Atlas Geo (D2) and Lux Hymnoor (D5) being the victors from my past stories. I am looking for five more victors. Any spaces left unfilled will be filled with victors I created or left empty if no have past victors for that spot. If you want an instant victor, you can send one in using this form.**

 **Name:**

 **Gender:**

 **Sexuality:**

 **Age of victory:**

 **Career or not:**

 **What happened during their Games**

 **Appearance:**

 **Also, I need your help, the story after this has a few elements I want to test out before diving into it after the story. However, there would only be 8 tributes involved, the victor being a canon victor in my universe. Would you be interested in taking part in that and reading? It would not be updated as much as this story or Nine Missing Victors. BUT it would be short anyway, I just want to test what you think of a few things. Let me know in the reviews!**

 **Also, Jolteon2404 has an amazing SYOT you should check out and is also starting a new SYOT soon so keep an eye out for that. He is a fast and good quality writer who has done amazingly with his first SYOT, Bloodlines. Be sure to check him out! Anyway, with the chapter, I hope you enjoy, as always, let me what you think!**

* * *

 **Damon Romulus, District Five Male**

When his name was called, the wind that blew through the District seemed to become more violent. As the wind died down, it was replaced with the devastated wail of his weak father and mother. Damon turned around, his blue eyes tearing up as his father's walking stick slipped from underneath him, his mother just catching him.

"Dad!" Damon screamed, leaping out of the way of a frustrated escort and running to his father's side. The young man's body shook as he screamed in pain like The Capitol was tearing out his beating heart from his chest as they pulled his son away from him. "You can get your treatment now, you don't have to die!" Damon screamed to his cancer ridden father as he was pulled towards the microphone.

"I would rather me than you," his father said between sobs as he buried his face into his wife's shoulder.

 **10 Years Later...**

Damon sat at his desk, his long legs crossed under his body as he swayed from side to side on the swiveling chair. Before him, the pen and blank lined paper lay unused, the words that bounced around in his head unable to break free. With every passing second, the sixteen year old became more and more frustrated with himself, after all, how hard was it to write a letter to your family? Apparently for Damon, it was one of the hardest things he was forced to face. Every month it became harder, unable to shake the feeling of unattachment to the family he had not seen in ten years. He knew them once, he even volunteered to save one of them but now, they were just strangers who he called blood. He felt like an adopted child, a glimmer of resentment maybe for allowing him to be chosen. However, deep down, he also knew it was his fault for volunteering in the first place. He had no one else to blame but himself and he hated it.

The first time someone rushed past his door, Damon quietly ignored it. However, when the same figured passed again, this time accompanied by a loud, metallic clanking it caught his attention. Maybe it was just his frustration with his poor way of words but this small act agitated him enough to storm out of his room and pursue the figure.

Damon could tell who it was the second he caught sight of the camera lense and the speed the man was moving at, despite the bulky equipment, just solidified his theory. He increased his speed but rather than to bully him, he wanted to use them as an emotional outlet. When he rounded the corner, his theory was confirmed, bringing a large smile to his face.

Vulcan Omiros from District Eleven glanced over to the blonde male, returning the smile with a small blush. "Dame," he said clearing his throat as he turned his attention back to the bulky camera he had set up. It was nothing like the camera The Capitol used to film the reality show or anything for that matter. It was so old and useless that when Vulcan found it in storage, they allowed him to keep it for free. Either that or the grumpy old man happened to be one of the few fans of the dark haired boy. Sadly, despite his good looks and amazing skills in combat, he didn't put himself in front of the camera too much, it was an odd sight to see him wandering the halls when the camera's were live. This had lead to him having a very small but passionate fan base.

After a few moments of silence, the dark haired boy waved Damon over, quickly showing him how to zoom, move and generally how to man the camera before moving in front of the lense. Damon peeked over the camera as Vulcan dug through his back, to look at his butt but to also get a glimpse of what he held in the tank of water he pulled out. With a large grin on his face, he took at seat on the fold out chair he had strategically placed so he was in centre frame and told Damon to record.

"Hey mom, hey dad!" he said with a childlike excitement very few people got to see from Vulcan. "Not much to show you this month, most of it is getting us ready for the Games which...well you will see that and I don't want to upset you. So, I will be showing what I own and what will be yours if...y'know, I don't come home." This was followed by a few minutes of silence as he worked hard to keep his composure. When he was done, his large, fake smile popped back onto his face as he held the tank into frame, Damon in awe at the blue fish that was stuck to the side of the tank. "This is Blue, because I am still unoriginal with my names...he is a Pleco that was dyed blue BUT don't worry, it didn't hurt him."

For the next two hours, Damon followed Vulcan as he made his video message for his parents, going over everything he owned and what he would like his family to do with it in the event of his death. The idea amazed and frightened Damon. It was a unique way to keep contact with their parents, allowing them to see their face but the idea that Vulcan was making his will made Damon's stomach turn. There would only be one more letter from their parents, this would be the last letter the Warriors sent back home before twenty-three of them would be dead. Twenty-four rooms in the tribute centre would be emptied out and shipped back home but only one tribute would be going back with their belongings. The other twenty-three families would only receive the belongings of their dead child. Damon thought about how his father would blame himself for his death, the thought propelling Damon to lust for victory even more. He didn't want money or fame, he just wanted to live.

"What do I get for that?" Damon asked as Vulcan packed his camera away, trying to pull his mind from the dark reality around him.

"Well, what do you want?" This question brought a mischievous smirk onto Damon's face.

"A trip to your room-"

"With the cameras?" Vulcan squeaked in surprise. "We almost got caught last-"

"Then bite a pillow," Damon said, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to y'know-"

"I want to, just make it quick," Vulcan whispered, blushing as he hurried out of the room. _Where is the fun in that, Vulcan?_ Damon thought as he bounded after the boy. The muscular, blonde boy might be dead in a few weeks but that was no need to get down about it.

* * *

 **Nathalie Sibylla, District 5 Female**

"And the female tribute is...Nathalie Sibylla!" The moment the escort called her name, Nathalie felt the anger that had been brewing for the past few days boil to the surface. The small girl turned to her family, her teary mother, and father as they held her newborn brothers.

"It's for a good cause," her mother, the same woman who had volunteered her own daughter because she couldn't look after her own children said with a lump in her throat.

"I hate you!" Nathalie bellowed at her parents as she was pulled towards the chosen male. In that moment, she hated every member of her family, her brothers being the only exception.

 **10 Years Later...**

Nathalie Sibylla rubbed the last of the oil into her tanned, long legs before laying back against the sunlounger with a sigh. The sun on her face was comforting but the orange glare that was caused by the bright sunlight was started to get on her nerves. "Janae, can you shade my face please?" Nathalie asked the small girl who quickly rushed to her side, casting a cool shadow over her face.

"Nathalie-" Janae was cut off my Nathalie clearing her throat. "Oh, erm, Miss Sibylla, the sun is in my eyes." Nathalie gave a sigh, moving her toned, oiled up hand towards her red handbag and pointed at it.

"Inside there, in a grey case, you will find some sunglasses, put them on." Janae quickly followed the dark haired girls orders, pulling out the crystal framed sunglasses and placing them on her face.

"These are pretty," she mumbled as she took her place once more, standing over Nathalie.

The girl gave a smirk at Janae's words "They better be, from a top Capitol designer they are." Nathalie was never into designer stuff but as she could afford it with her royalty like wage for being a Warrior, so she saw no harm in buying a few crystal sunglasses here and there. Janae gave a silent nod as she turned away from the sun, thankful for the suncream Nathalie had given her use.

After a few moments of silence, Janae was starting to become restless. She decided that if Nathalie was going to treat her like a slave, she was going to have to keep a conversation. "Why do you put that oil on your legs?"

Nathalie gave a little chuckle as she gestured for Janae to move to the side slightly. "Kid, this is a difference between being eliminated and being a victor...men do like a girl who takes care of herself-"

"But I thought you had never been with a man-"

"You want to say that a bit louder Janae?" Nathalie growled, sitting up and glaring at the young girl. The dark haired girl gave a sigh before looking around and making sure no one else was looking. "You don't need to be easy, kid, you just need to make 'em think you are...not the best image but I don't care as long as I am alive." In fact, Nathalie hated it but she knew it must have been working as she ranked in the top few during a recent poll. However, if it was to get out that she had never been with a guy romantically let alone physically, it could ruin everything she had built over the years and making her seem like a fraud. Something so small could lead her to elimination and death.

"I am sorry," Janae mumbled to herself, hanging her head low.

"Whatever, go get me a drink, please-"

"Why can't you get it?" Janae said, a slight growl in her voice that Nathalie had not heard before.

"Because you won't win so you might as well make yourself memorable by serving a future victor!" Nathalie snapped at the brunette haired girl who simply rolled her eyes and followed orders. Janae was one of Nathalie's least favorite servants. She voiced her opinion far too much and unlike most of the children her age, refused to admit that Nathalie was the best there. Even if Nathalie was average in the fighting sector. However, maybe the real reason her and Janae did not get on was because she reminded Nathalie of herself. Janae might have looked like a cute kid but she was capable of being deadly if it was needed. A description that had come to describe Nathalie and something she was not willing to give up to someone else.

Somedays, Nathalie did not even want to be in the Games, some days she did. She never wanted to be a Warrior, neither did she want to be chosen. Her parents only volunteered her to save themselves after her brother's death. Nathalie could not remember her older brother too well, she was only five when he died, and she had never made a move to watch his death either. She wanted to preserve the few memories she had with him. His bright smile and sparkling brown eyes as he taught her how to dance, a hobby she had carried on into her teenage years. She did not want that to be tainted with however he went down. He was killed by a career at only twelve years old and it caused her family to slip into depression, that's all she wanted to know about the matter. She wasn't even sure who killed him.

Maybe that was why she bullied the children of the group, out of envy. They were all heading towards their deaths but why should they be happy? She had become numb to the pain her parents inflicted onto her because they would rather wallow in their self pity that look after her and her younger brothers. However, she could never forgive them. If she won, she would get them back the only way she knew how. She was going to take her little brothers away.

* * *

 **District 5:**

 **Damon Romulus, 16**

 **Nathalie Sibylla, 17**

 **Tributes Mentioned:**

 **Vulcan Omiros, 17**

 **Janae Rayon, 16**


	11. District 6 Male and Female

**We're halfway there *whispers* Woah, living on a prayer. District Six! As this is the halfway point, have a few questions you can answer to gain sponsor points. You can only spend them once during the Games but I don't want to reveal when this is _just_ yet as it would give too much away. However, trust me, your tribute will benefit from the amount of sponsor points you have. **

**Questions:**

 **-Out of the Warriors you have seen so far (including the ones from this chapter), do you have any ships and if so, who?**

 **-Out of the first 12 tributes, who do you think is most likely to win?**

 **-Out of the first 12 tributes, who do you think is most likely to be eliminated?**

 **-Favorite tribute so far?**

 **Each question is worth 2 points and they will be scattered throughout the story. So there will be another one on the District 12 chapter.**

 **Anyway, the chapter, I decided to make these two friends as I thought they fit together. Because of this I did something a bit different with the childhood section, be sure to let me know your thoughts on this. Also, as always, let me know you thoughts on the characters and the chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Veyron Maverick, District Six Male**

As the school bell tore through the District, the streets near the school came alive with the sound of children racing through the streets. One of these children was Veyron Maverick dressed in his worn out, hand me down clothes. In one hand he held a few coins tightly while the other pulled his school friend, Loretta Moriko along.

The pair giggled as they ran through the streets, dodging other children and annoyed adults until they came to the bakers shop. Inside was a small group of train mechanics buying their weekly bread after their shift. However, the money Veyron held in his hand was for his birthday and he only wanted one thing.

Loretta stared in awe at the beautifully decorated cakes around her, her mouth hung open. She looked over to Veyron who looked on with hungry eyes as the shop assistant wrapped the chocolate up in newspaper wrapping. "My mum says I can have a cake for my eighteenth birthday!" she said with glee, the woman behind the counter smiling softly at her. Veyron turned around, holding his chocolate with a cheerful smile on his face.

"If my mum will give me the money, I will buy you some chocolate for your 8th birthday...if you like it," he cheered before quickly thanking the shop assistant and dragging his friend towards the train station.

 **10 Years Later...**

Veyron placed the last of the freshly prepared bacon onto the red, porcelain plate and turned to walk out of the shared kitchen. As he walked towards the slightly ajar, patio door, he took in the warming smell of the meat as he walked into the garden. Loretta, who was sat on a soft, quilted blanket, gave a small cheer when she saw the food Veyron was carrying. The blonde girl quickly turned back to the picnic, moving a few pieces of cutlery around so the giant male could take a seat opposite her. Before Veyron could even place it down, his District Partner snatched a slither of bacon, placed it in a soft bun and took a large bite. Veyron watched with a large smile as crumbs from the bread got caught in the girls wooly pajamas.

Picnic breakfasts were something him and Loretta had done every year on their birthdays since they were six. They would gather up as much food as they could and watch the sun rise as they enjoyed each other's company. It was not Loretta's birthday for another ten days but they both knew the chance they would be able to sneak away for a picnic was unlikely. After their final day of training, things would become chaotic with the run up to the Games. However, when he looked in the girl's eyes, he only saw the memories he had shared over the years with her. A warm feeling.

Veyron and Loretta had been friends since they joined school, being paired for a P.E project on the first day. After that, there two became the only friends each other had, spending every waking moment with each other if they could. They were drawn by their aversions to social situations and even as Warriors, the two were like glue. If it was not for Veyron being Asexual and Panromantic, the two might have been shipped.

"Romilda invited me out drinking tonight," Veyron sighed as he buttered some warm toast.

"Hm? Who is going?" Loretta asked, her mouth full of bacon as she poured herself a glass of fresh orange juice.

"Grover, Belinda...oh, Ares and Romilda as far as I know-"

"You going?" Loretta questioned, gulping down a mouthful of juice. Veyron looked away, his head down as he gave a shrug. Veyron might have looked intimidating with his towering height and calculating look but he was the friendliest, most timid giant you would ever meet. So without a little push, he was unlikely to take a social leap. "Go, you will enjoy it-"

"You wouldn't go," Veyron pointed out, earning a uncaring shrug from his friend.

"Don't be like me then." After that, the conversation fell, the two entranced by the bluebirds that darted around in the orange sky. The lack of speaking not because they had few things to say but because they knew each other so well, they found comfort in the other one being near by. After a while, Loretta gave a sighed, laying on the picnic blanket. "Pallas wanted to come today," she whispered, glancing over to Veyron to see his reaction.

The dark haired male hummed in response. "Well, this is time just for you and me-"

"You didn't mind Romilda being here-"

"He was better than Pallas, Lore," Veyron sighed, quickly regretting his words when he saw Loretta's face become red with frustration. "I didn't mean it like that, I just meant he didn't hurt you-"

"Just drop it," Loretta growled, turning away from her friend, leaving the two in an awkward silence. Veyron wanted to trust Loretta that Pallas never meant to hurt his best friend but as the Games drew closer and Loretta's beatings got worse, it was becoming harder to forgive. Veyron was a very patient man, shown by the fact his skill was tracking, but Pallas was starting to hit on a nerve. And no one wanted to push Veyron over the edge.

Veyron gave a groan as he turned away from the girl, placing his hand in the pocket of his dressing gown and pulled out a small bar of chocolate. "Erm, happy birthday, Lore," he mumbled as he held it out towards the girl. Her face softened as her blue eyes fell on the newspaper wrapping, the words 'chocolate' written on in black ink.

She quickly sat up, pulling the paper away to reveal thirteen rows of almost black chocolate. "Veyron-"

"It is from home, I ordered it just for your birthday...you always said how you missed it." The smile the sprang across Loretta's face as he said this made every ounce of effort he had put into the present, worth it. He first had to make sure that after ten years, the shop was still open in the District then he had to beg his adopted family to send him the bar and hope it came in time for Loretta.

The girl gave a soft giggle as she held it up to her ear and snapped two rows off. She then held it in front of her, snapping it in half. She turned to Veyron with a large smile on her face and held out half of the broken chocolate towards him.

Veyron was thankful for her offer, worried that she might forget about him, and placed a square in his mouth. The chocolate was bitter, nothing like the chocolate they had in The Capitol. However, despite it's revolting taste, it brought them both a rush of warmth. With the taste came back a thousand childhood memories back in their District. A taste that could take them away from the looming threat that was the Games that would tear them apart and transport them back to a time where they were safe.

* * *

 **Loretta Moriko, District Six Female**

Loretta jumped up and down on the spot in excitement as Veyron unwrapped the chocolate. He waved the little blonde girl over, holding the chocolate to her ear and snapping it. He broke two pieces of the four rowed bar off and gave them to a hyper Loretta. He eyes widened at the taste, the sweetness being a shock to the tastebuds of the poor girl who could only dream about having her own bar of chocolate. "I didn't think your family had the money for this," Loretta remarked as she took a small bite of the next bit, trying to save it.

"They used the money they got from volunteering me for the Games-"

"You had to do it too?" Loretta said with sympathy.

"I don't want to go-"

"Just don't get picked, it is what I am doing," she said gleefully, placing the other chocolate in her mouth. Life was perfect to her as long as her best friend was around.

 **10 Years Later...**

Loretta sat on the bed, shivering as Pallas lay asleep next to her, his chest gently moving. Loretta always knew how to calm him down when he awoke from a nightmare about the Games and lashed out. However, she never came out unscaved. This time she had received a black eye, a sprained wrist and multiple bruises on her arms and legs. As the Games came closer, his beatings and nightmares became more regular to the point she did not know whether to flinch or kiss him when he hugged her.

She waited until she was sure he was asleep and slipped off the bed, carefully moving across the bedroom and out of the door. Two floors down was an all night medical centre for the tributes, a place she had become a regular. However, as she made her way into the lounge area, the front door swung open. She froze as Romilda and Ares sauntered in, singing a parody of the Panem Anthem, followed by a smiling, but drunk Veyron and Grover who was flirting with a blushing Belinda.

Loretta quickly ducked behind one of the chairs before most of them had seen her but Veyron, having an eye for detail, even in a drunken state noticed her. While Grover joined in with Romilda and Ares, Veyron broke away, peeking his head around the chair. "Lore," he gasped as he caught sight of her beaten body but the girl just hushed him.

"Loretta?" Romilda said in a slightly raise voice, interrupting his sing along. Veyron flinched as he mouthed a sorry to a teary eyed girl. Romilda almost dived over the back of the sofa where Loretta was hiding and crouched down in front of her. She tried to hide her face but the stocky male grabbed it and lifted it up, getting a better look at her. His eyes then wandered down to her arms and long, bare legs that poked out from her shorts. He rose to his feet and offered his hand down towards the girl. "Can you stand?" he asked her, she gave a nod and stood up by herself.

"Dickhead," Ares chuntered as he got a look at the girl. Loretta kept her head down and turned to head back into Pallas' room when Grover stepped in front of her, holding her back. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her face, a small flash of anger in his blue eyes.

"This is getting out of hand now, it's almost every night now," Grover said to the group that had gathered.

"I say we teach him a lesson," Ares growled, Grover nodding in agreement. Loretta looked over to a guilty looking Veyron for support.

"I agree with them, I think the personality switch is just an excuse now-"

"Don't hurt him, please, he honestly does not mean it-"

"How can we trust you, he might be manipulating you," Grover growled, pushing the girl towards Romilda.

"Hey, this is not her fault, Grove," Ares noted.

Grover held out his hands in defence. "I am just pointing out a fact."

"Well I think you are both being twats, he has bipolar, beating him when he is not in his violent personality will be like beating Grover for being a gentleman, it's up to Loretta what she does," Belinda said sternly, bringing silence to the group of Warriors. Ares opened his mouth to speak when he seemed to visibly shrink at the sight of Pallas standing behind Grover.

The blonde male's eyes widened when he saw the bruised body of his girlfriend, pushing Grover out of his way to get to her. Loretta flinched slightly as he grabbed her face before quickly pulling his crying girlfriend into an embrace. "I was worried when I saw you was not next to me," his whispered into her ear before turning around the group. "Who the did this?" He asked the Warriors in front of him, a look of fear and confusion on their faces. "I said, who the fuck did this?" he bellowed, his face flashing red, veins bulging in his neck.

Belinda looked over to Grover who looked ready to punch the man and quickly stepped in. "We don't know but she needs medical help." Pallas did not look convinced but when he went to speak, Belinda quickly shot him down. "Now!" she screamed at the man, determined to get him away from the scene before he flipped out any more.

"Fine," he mumbled, pulling Loretta towards Veyron and handing her over to him. "Look after her, I trust you," he sighed, glancing over to Romilda when he said the last bit. He quickly followed a nervous Belinda out the door, Grover and Ares running after them. Before anything else could happen, Loretta turned and started to walk towards her room.

Romilda told Veyron to say back as he ran after, catching up with her and pinning her against a wall. "Please break up with him-"

"There is nothing left between you and me-"

"Not for me, I can't be with you…but for yourself, he is going to put you in a wheelchair before the Games even start," his whispered, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at him.

"I love him," she whimpered, tears streaming from her eyes. However, when Romilda smashed his lips down onto her's, she gave little protest. Although she didn't join in she closed her eyes and allowed Romilda's lips to move against hers. It was only when he pulled away it hit her how much she enjoyed it. Before Romilda could react, she smacked him across the face.

Loretta watched as Romilda's face turned from one of shocked to anger. "Sorry," he grunted, turning and walking away. Once he was out of sight, Loretta dropped to her knees, sobbing loudly as she slammed her fist into the floor repeatedly in frustration with herself. Only when Veyron scooped her up in his arms did she become still, crying softly into his suit jacket.

 **District 6:**

 **Veyron Maverick, 17**

 **Loretta Mariko, 17**

 **Tributes Mentioned:**

 **Grover Underwood, D7**

 **Belinda Herd, D10**

 **Ares Walker, D8**

 **Romilda Vasilios, D4**

 **Pallas Narciso, D10**


	12. District 7 Male and Female

**District Seven! Before you read, I have an announcement to make! There will be a Capitol Dance later on during the story. Dates are a must. Victors must go with victors and tributes with tributes. However, you get to vote for who that is. If you pair every character up, you get ten sponsor points. You have a long time to do this in so you don't have to vote straight away. However, if there is a couple you really, want to see attended a Capitol Party together and you don't think it will change between now and District Twelve, you are more than welcome to vote. Please leave the victor thing until AFTER they have all been introduced. Also, same sex dates are allowed. Votes will be submitted through PM.**

 **Also, thank you so much for the reviews, it really makes me happy to see that you are enjoying the story. I hope you continue to enjoy it.**

 **Anyway, please enjoy Grover and Balina, our District Seven tributes!**

* * *

 **Grover Jay Lindell, District 7 Male:**

"Barker could not make it...he is too unwell," Grover's father said, his eyes full of guilt. Grover's back stiffened upon hearing this, not that he expected any different but he still hoped to see his brother before he was taken away.

"It's okay, I forgive Barker!" Grover spat, not even looking his father in the eye. Grover loved his brother more than any of his family members. After his mother's death in childbirth to Grover and Barker and his brother's diagnosis with Cystic Fibrosis, he knew he would have to pull his own weight. However, he never expected that it would include giving up his childhood. Admitted, it was mostly throwing mud through school windows or hiding the Lumberjacks axes but it was a childhood nonetheless.

His brother had stolen everything, the life of their mother, attention and now possibly his life. However, Grover found it easier to forgive his brother than his father. His brother was in pain and wanted help, his father was just selfish. Then again, maybe it was too much to ask that Grover had the life he deserved. Or maybe he got it.

 **10 Years Later...**

Laurel Zetta, The Crimson Victor as people called her. The girl who slaughtered tributes with nothing but an axe in desperation but without remorse. The teenager who chuckled as she was announced victor, doused in her victim's blood with a twisted smile on her face. And Grover was going to tell her off.

The dark haired male didn't even bother to knock as he entered through the unlocked door. This leads him to the backstage of the burlesque club where the victor worked. As the door violently swung open, the blonde girl did not even look up from the tattered book she was reading, an uncaring expression on her face. His eyes scanned her clothing, a tight, lacy leotard with diamond studded high heels and her blonde hair fell in a waterfall of curls. She looked rather hot and that angered Grover.

"I can't believe you work in a strip club," Grover said, scrunching up his nose, earning some offended looks from the other female dancers.

"It's not a strip club, I don't swirl around on a pole like a hog roast...I don't even strip, I sing and even if I did, what is it to you?"

"I don't like the idea of other guys looking at you...dressed like _that-"_

"Did you come here to mock my hobby, Grover?" Laurel sighed, placing the book she was reading down.

"No, I came for my mentoring sessions-"

"Last time I checked, I was not your mentor, Gerhard was so why do you go to him?" Laurel asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"I think he likes you," a redheaded dancer laughed as she laced up her knee high shoes. A few of the other girls winced as Grover turned around, an agitated look in his eye.

"What makes you think I like her? The STD's are getting to your head, try closing you fish legs next time, eh?"

"Grover," Laurel sighed, grabbing the boy by the arm and pulling him out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Once the door had closed, the stoic look on her face turned to one of amusement as she tried not to laugh. "I never liked her," she mumbled under her breath, a small smile forming on Grover's lips. However, before anything else could be said, the girl, faster than Grover could react, pinned him to the wall, her arm across his neck. "Listen, you don't own me, nor will you ever own me, I am not your slave-"

Grover quickly pushed the girl away, pinning her against the wall by her arms. "Funny, that is not what you said the other night."

"Dick."

"Cow."

"Dinner tomorrow at eight?"

"Sounds good, after party at my place?"

"You got it," Laurel said with a chuckle as Grover planted a rather tender kiss on her lips. "Love Ya'."

"Yeah, you too," Grover said with a wink before leaving Laurel by herself. However, as he got further away, his smile dropped. The boy was not sure what attracted him to the victor. She was far from the prettiest girl he had got his hands on. It wasn't like she was submissive either, the two had got into many fights due to Grover being obsessive. However, it always ended in the two laughing, complementing and comparing fighting techniques. It was a strange relationship and none of it made sense, she had nothing to make him keep coming back yet he always did. Maybe it was the fact that he knew Gerhard, his mentor had a thing for her. Since the girl turned seventeen, he had not let up on the courting Laurel. Despite his stoic front, Gerhard yearned for a sense of normality and he saw that in the young victor and the family she would produce. Laurel did have a crush on the man when she was young so Grover was sure if he had started his courting earlier before the girl got with him, the two might have got together. However, there was an off-putting number of years between the victors, nineteen. By the time she was his age, he would be fifty-eight, Grover wasn't sure Laurel would want to put her time and effort into an old man. There was plenty of women back in Seven that would bend over backward to marry him, Grover was not sure why they had to go for his girlfriend.

He quickly shook his head, there he was, getting over protective over nothing. It was not even like he liked the girl, she was just a fling like all the bits on the side. He just thought it was rude, that is all. Grover didn't need to rely on anyone, his parents made that clear when they volunteered him to save his brother. He didn't mind but after spending his whole life alone because of his brother's cystic fibrosis, he quickly learned that he did not matter to anyone, so why should they matter to him? To him, Laurel was nothing more than a meat bag that pleasured him, he used her, he didn't love her. However, as he thought these thoughts, he felt a strange sensation, like he had been punched in the stomach with guilt.

He zoned out as he wandered into the tribute house, his mind arguing over his feelings about Laurel and how his past might have affected his current self. He fell backward onto the backless sofa Ares was on and looked up at the ceiling. "You okay?" Ares asked, raising an eyebrow at the dazed boy.

"I-I think..I think I have problems," Grover said just above a whisper, like his brief dive into his childhood and feelings towards his secret girlfriend had opened up some gateway to another galaxy.

"Huh...and do you want to talk about these problems?" Ares said, squinting to try and see what his friend was so entranced by.

Grover scrunched his face up, like the idea of talking about his problems grossed him out. "I ain't no pussy," Grover squeaked, earning a startled look from Ares.

"Debatable," Romilda sighed from next to him, flicking through Cooking Weekly in his tight, white shirt that showed off his rippling, muscular arms.

"Oh shut up you steroid filled bear!" Grover growled, earning a small chuckle from the male.

"Aw, Romilda is more of a...teddy bear," Ares said, stroking and angered Grover's hair.

"Yeah, and I just love hugs," Romilda cheered, giving the dark haired boy a wink before going in for the hug. Grover let out a small grunt as he wriggled away falling off the sofa and onto the floor.

"You hug me and I will tear your face off!" he spat at the giggle blonde man. Ares making small cooing sounds at the flustered male.

"Are you going dressed like that, Grover?" a small voice chirped from the doorway. The males looked around to see a beautiful Belinda dressed in a tight, red dress. Only at that point did Grover noticed that everyone was dressed smartly like it was for a night out. _Shit, it's Saturday night._ Grover thought as he quickly scrambled to his feet, blushing slightly as he looked at how beautiful Belinda was.

"Where is Veyron?" Ares asked as he stood, buttoning up his blazer.

"Here I am," Veyron said quietly, stepping out from the darkness of the kitchen, dressed in a smart suit.

"Huh, I thought the looming figure was a lamp," Grover said with a childish grin on his face.

"I like to stand in corners during social situations so I don't have to interact with people," Veyron mumbled, followed by an awkward silence.

"Optimism, that's what I like to see," Ares said with a fist bump, earning a small smile from the giant male.

"And why are you dressed like that, we are off for drinks, not to a wedding," Grover asked the male with a disgusted look on his face.

"You are the one dressed in shorts and a vest top, chicken legs," Romilda pointed out. Grover looked down at his sports kit then back up to the blonde male, sticking his tongue out at the Romilda. He swiveled on his heel, walking back towards his room.

"Are you not showering?" Belinda asked as he unlocked his door.

"It's not body odor you smell, it's manly musk, it's how the Grover attracts his mates," Romilda hissed to the girl, Ares blurting out in laughter.

"Romilda, I am going to kill you," Grover sighed as he entered his room.

"Ooh, kinky. Only two weeks until the arena sexy," Romilda shouted back in a girly voice as Grover slammed the door.

* * *

 **Balina Abbott, District 7 Female:**

Balina's nails scraped against the side of the train, peeling the paint off as she pushed against her father's force. The young man gave a grunt as he grabbed onto her hands, dragging his own nails across the girl's skin until she yelped. As she did so, her hand lost grip of the door frame, allowing her father to kicked her onto the train. The girl fell face first onto the carpet, loudly sobbing as she scrambled to her feet. The Peacekeepers predicted her next move and quickly shut the doors, leaving a six-year-old Balina pounding at the glass of the door, begging for her father to save her.

The girl's attempts become more panicked as the train started to depart the station like her life depended on her breaking the glass. As he was about to vanish from sight, her father, with teary eyes quickly mouthed an apology to his daughter.

 **10 Years Later...**

Balina Abbott sat cross legged on the white carpet of her room, her brown eyes focused on the pad in front of her. The pen glided over the paper with grace, sometimes stopping to violently scribble out a mistake. Since she was reaped, Balina had adopted the hobby of poetry. It was something she did not share with any of the other tributes but it was also something she did not mind keeping to herself. It was her down time, something the intelligent girl spent her evenings doing. However, tonight was different. Outside, it sounded like an argument was brewing. A loud shout, followed by silence and group of people chuntering. Balina would stop every now and again to try and pick up some words, hoping no one would include her. It wasn't her night though.

When the low mumble of arguing to screaming, Balina had enough. She threw her ballpoint pen across the room, it smashing against the wall, painting it in black ink. With a groan at the mess she had caused, she flung open her door, the screams almost deafening. Her eyes settled on a camera man at the far end of the hall where the noise was coming from, looking excited as he focused on whatever mayhem was unfolding. "Leave him alone...turn that off!" Annabella screamed, stumbling into view, tears in her eyes as she begged the camera man. She quickly locked eyes with Balina, a broken look on her face as Tore skidded around the corner, a flustered look on his.

"Nero cheated on Annabella!" He shouted, arching his back slightly with his arms outstretched.

"No, he didn't!" Annabella screamed, tearing apart her throat before going back to beg people to stop their assault against the man. Balina was about to go back to her room when Shelly raced past her, holding some underwear in her hands. Before Balina could try and escape once more, her friend Tore, grabbed her by the hand and dragged her towards the commotion.

As she rounded the corner, Shelly stood on the table, hushing the crowd as she held the red thong proud in her hand. "I found the underwear!" She said with pride, the group in front of her turning around.

"They're mine!" Eve gasped, earning disgusted looks from the other tributes. "Oh get over yourselves, I did not sleep with him," Eve growled, snatching the pants away from Shelly.

"You like him don't you? And we all know Nero was thinking of breaking up with Annabella-" Damon pointed out, only to be cut off my Belinda who was holding back Grover, the dark haired boy sizing up Nero.

"How do you know that?" She questioned.

"Berik told me," Damon said, pointing to Nero's warrior partner, Berik Mathews of District Twelve.

The blonde boy gasped, quickly turning to Nero. "I swear I didn't mate-" Berik stopped when Nero raised his hand, silencing the man.

"How did this even get out?" Nero asked, clearly trying not to cry. Shelly cleared her throat, gaining his attention.

"Clarissa told me after Annabella told her-"

"Clarissa?" Annabella squeaked, the thought of her best friend betraying her too was just another blow to the chest. Clarissa opened her mouth to speak but was quickly intercepted by Shelly.

"She trusted you and you broke it...how do we know you didn't sleep with Nero, hm?" Shelly asked, the group of warriors nodding in agreement.

"Fuck sake, it's because she is gay!" Sunbeam shouted, the attention of the room shifting to her. "With me, she is more likely to sleep with Annabella than Nero-"

"Oh and FYI, Annabella is as straight as a four by four so no, I didn't do her either," Clarissa mumbled with anger.

"Huh," Shelly took note of the unexpected development but quickly seized the opportunity. "Well, you still broke your friend's trust and for what? in the hopes that we would like you?" The group cheered in agreement, making Balina roll her eyes. She found the human race so gullible and quick to anger. She knew for a fact that Clarissa did not tell everyone that was attacking her, they were just following the crowd.

"Stop it!" Annabella screamed, bringing the room to a shocked silence. "Whatever Nero did is between him and myself, we don't need your input," she said this with a worn out drag, her body weak from the argument.

"Annie," Grover said with care. "We are trying to help you-"

"No, you want a fight, to single someone out and attack them. I mean, it's what we have spent all our lives being trained for...right?" Loretta said from the other end of the room, standing with Pallas, Romilda, and Veyron. The group turned to her. "Well, I mean maybe...I don't really know-"

"Fuck, dude, the beatings are getting to her head-"

"Grover!" Belinda scolded the boy, making him scowl at Belinda while muttering an apology to Loretta. The arguing started again until Romilda mounted the same table as Shelly, the tall, well-built male towering above her. The group quickly turned around to face the big brother of the group.

"One thing I have found out over the years is that forcing someone to break up with someone they love, even if it is for the best is utterly useless," as he said this, his blue eyes flickered over to a shrinking Loretta. "Nero may have cheated, this might have just been a mess up with the laundry but it is not our place for us to decide what she decides to do with the matter, even if we are just trying to help because we love them...we should just step back and let them make their own choice about something that does not concern any of us but them." The room fell silent once he finished his speech, his eyes locking with Loretta's who quickly looked away, her body shaking.

"Gay!" Ares shouted from next to Grover but his childish grin told Romilda he agreed. And just as quickly as the storm started, the tributes dispersed, making their ways back to their rooms or return to their evening activities. This allowed Nero and Annabella time to quickly vanish into their room.

Romilda turned to Shelly who gave him a smug smile as she jumped off the table, following Damon down the hall to his room.

Tore turned to his friend with an excited look on his face. The dark haired boy had a love for drama but Balina did not, staying out of it when she could. If she was never in a fight, she could make no enemies, increasing her chances. Plus, she found the whole thing tiring. Human emotions could get the better of someone, breaking them down to where there is nothing left to do but the unthinkable. It happened to her mother. For a teenage mum like Balina was born to, there was no help for them. Not in Seven anyway. Trying to single handed raise a child proved too much for the young mother and she saw no other way out than to kill herself. Balina was then sent to her father who did not want her any more than her mother did. He volunteered her and forced her to become a Warrior just so he no longer had to raise her. Sadly, her early experience had taught Balina to not get involved with human emotions or trust humans. Tore, the only person she felt she could call her friend was not even truly a friend. He only knew what she wanted him to know. Balina was always going to be a girl who kept to herself, whether she died in that arena or not.

* * *

 **District Seven:**

 **Grover Jay Lindell, 17**

 **Balina Abbot, 16**

 **Tributes Mentioned:**

 **Ares Walker, District Eight**

 **Romilda Vasilios, District Four**

 **Belinda Herd, District Ten**

 **Veyron Maverick, District Six**

 **Shelly Bereg, District Four**

 **Damon Romulus, District Five**

 **Berik Mathews, District Twelve**

 **Nero Anghel, District Two**

 **Annabella Giada, District Three**

 **Evelyn Spires, District Two**

 **Clarissa Silvia, District Eleven**

 **Tore Dante, District Nine**

 **Sunbeam Feyre, District One**


	13. District 8 Male and Female

**Sorry, this chapter is so late! I move out and into University digs on the 17th so I have been trying to get everything ready. I hope to get the introductions for Tributes done by the time I leave. I won't be doing much freshers week though so I guess I have that too.**

 **Anyway, I published a new story called 'Amour Et Pouvoir'. It takes place during the year of 196th Hunger Games. It is not a Hunger Games story about the Games and does not even involve them. It focuses more on the political side of things. It will be a short story that will finish around the time this story gets to the Games. It is a prequel to a future SYOT I will be doing during the 197th Hunger Games.**

 **These will be a normal year, nothing special and although it might seem that AEP has no connection to it, how it ends (already planned) will have a massive ripple effect on the future SYOT. These Games will be called 'Realism: 197th Hunger Games'.**

 **Do not threat, though, 'Realism' is connected to my universe (just wayyy in the future) but there will also be a resurrection Games called, Resurrection *gasp*. Submissions for this will open when the victor is announced for this story. You can submit as many characters as you like as long as they are from my stories and I will pick twenty-four of them to bring back. This will be a lot more light hearted than 'Realism' and I have some fun things planned.**

 **So, the 'R' SYOT's are a thing of the future but I thought I would just let you know. For now, we have this story and in this chapter, we meet Ares and Coutille of District Eight, enjoy.**

* * *

 **Ares Walker, District Eight Male:**

"If you don't have a pork bun, you are no man!" the plump butcher cried to the bustling crowd. Some ignored him, some drooling at the goods they could not afford. Ares was the latter.

Sweets were more of his thing but as he watched the crisp, pig carcass rotate above the fire, his stomach turned. He watched in fascination when a small girl and her parents walked up to the man. She was dressed in her finest mink coat and white leather gloves as her snow boots crushed the snow beneath her feet.

"I will have a bun, please," she said with a wide smile, rocking back and forth on her heels. The pork bun man smiled before turning around and cutting some pork off the mouthwatering sight and placed it in a freshly baked bun. The way the meat fell off the bone made Ares long for it even more but when he placed his hand in his trousers pocket, he only found some lint.

"I got chestnuts!" his mother cheered towards her deflated son. She followed his eyes towards the pork bun the mayor's daughter held and frowned. "Ares, I have told you, for the price of one of those buns, we can buy a whole bird." Ares' eyes lit up at this until he saw the dead chicken his mother held that was the size of a sparrow.

With a grumble, Ares jumped down from the wall and turned to walk away when he came face to face with the mayor's daughter, Maria. She smiled happily at him, her brown eyes shimmering. "Hey, Ares!" she cheered, taking a large bite of her bun.

"Hello, Maria," Ares said with a blush before hurrying back towards his home. After catching up with a son, she gave him a knowing smile only a mother could give.

"Just friends?"

"Just school friends, yeah," he muttered under his breath, the ghost of a blush still covering his cheeks.

His mother smiled, letting out a small giggle. "Okay, Ares, if you say so."

* * *

 **10 Years Later...**

Ares Walker just wanted to own a sweet shop. He would spend his mornings and afternoons drooling outside of the bakery in his District. Christmas being his favorite time of year when they would pour the fudge out on the big steel table, decked in holly and prepare it before his eyes. HIs family never had the money to buy him some but that smell was enough for the child. Oh, how he longed to taste the sweet fudge so, at breakfast on his fifth birthday, he announced he would be a sweet maker. The first in town with affordable sweets for everyone. Twelve years on, Ares knew it was nothing but a pipe dream. His family lived in the slums, the chance that he would be able to afford the sugar let alone the shop was impossible. And even if he did, he couldn't allow it to go for less than a profit unless he wanted to be run into the ground.

Yes, being an adult was boring, logic taking over dreams. However, being a Warrior was worse. Sure, he could get his shop with the money if he won but he wasn't sure it would feel right. A killer selling sweets to kids, he might as well mix in the blood of the other tributes, wouldn't make him feel any worse about selling his fudge to children. Although, this morbid reality did not stop his love for sweets or his childish nature.

The tall man had a love for cartoons, most of all a small one about a bunny that would hop around the Districts, giving children information on them. Each season was five episodes long and each season showed a different District and Ares owned all twelve. They were incorrect and childish but they reminded Ares of his pet rabbit back home. A small fluffball of black and white fur that he found near the cotton mills a year before he was volunteered. He was called Hop but sadly, Ares came home one day to find out he was that night's dinner. The boy learned fast that for a family as poor as his, no food was off limits.

The death of his pet always plagued Ares so when he saw the spitting image of Hop, District Bunny, he became scarily attached. Even now as a seventeen-year-old boy with just over two weeks until he would be forced to kill all of his friends, he was happily watching and singing along to the show. In his hand, he held a bowl full of sugar coated balls that all tasted like banana, the sugar sticking to the stubble around his mouth. His woolen onesie covered in the white granules too. If Romilda was the big brother of the group, he was the baby brother. Even Grover did not have the heart to make fun of his friends morning antics, he was just left to relive the childhood that was stolen from him.

Today, the other tributes were gathered in the breakfast area, helping Pallas clean the dishes, their way of thanking him for cooking their breakfast. All but Vulcan who had skipped out on his breakfast to focus on fixing his ancient camera. He sat cross legged on the sofa, screw driver in his mouth as he tenderly placed the pieces back in their designated spots. He glanced up at Ares and raised and eyebrow at the boy's sugar coated self. "My father used to grow that stuff," he sighed, gesturing towards the bowl Ares was holding.

"What was it like?" Ares asked through a mouthful of sweets. "They never showed the sugar plantation on the show."

Vulcan gave a shrug. "He never complained about it but I was only a kid, why would he? I don't think it was an easy life, though...he always begged me to do something with my life unlike he did with his." The two fell silent after this, Ares clearly anxious to unpause his show but not wanting to be impolite to the shy boy.

"I am sure he could not have done better, there were not many chances to better yourself in Eight, I assume Eleven was the same." He said with a pitiful smile.

Vulcan hummed in response. "Maybe that's why they volunteered me...maybe fighting for your life against twenty-three other children is better than whatever work my father did." After saying this, Ares gave the boy an understanding nod, receiving a smile in return. The second the boy's attention was drawn back to his camera, Ares quickly unpaused his show. He was not completely sure how volunteering your child for death was better than working but if that is what helped Vulcan sleep at night, Ares was not about to shatter it.

* * *

 **Coutille Harrow, District 8 Female:**

"We need you, the future of Panem rests on your shoulders," Coutille's adopted father said, his eyebrows knotted. It was a slight exaggeration, Coutille volunteering, being chosen or even winning would not decide the fate Panem faced, she might aid it at the most but she would never be someone the people followed. Not from what she could see anyway.

Her adopted parents only adopted her for her birth parents ties to the rebellion and to get chosen as a Warrior. So here she was, seated at the kitchen table, a map and an old, battered history book before her. The map was marked, showing where each District was and the known weak spots. This, along with her lessons in the rebel language was just another nightly event she had come to expect.

"Remember, they are the enemy, no matter how nice they may seem...they kill our people every day and they want to kill you too," Mr. Harrow growled, pointing at a badly drawn depiction of Peacekeepers burning a woman and her newborn baby alive. Coutille's breath hitched as she looked up at her father, her green eyes glossy with tears.

"But, what if I fail?" She asked.

"Then you fail all of your brothers and sisters."

* * *

 **10 Years Later...**

Coutille stood before the large crowd of people, a spot light blinding her. To her right was the rest of the warriors, waiting impatiently for her to speak. She was not sure why the scripted words were so hard for her to utter, after all these years of pretending to love the Games. Maybe it was because she knew she was lying to the public about where her heart truly lay. Maybe it was seeing the hopeful face of a child, knowing she had aided in their brainwashing. However, on that stage, she felt sick.

She Shifted slightly, her lip quivering as she read the words before her. She glanced up at the crowd with her green eyes and cleared her throat, ready to give them what they wanted and get it over with.

"In a few weeks, I will partake in a Game I have trained all my life for, a Game that will decide which of us took our teachings from the merciful Capitol and turned them into a victory," as she spoke, the crowd around her roared to life, cheering for their supposed mercy that had shown the tributes. "It has been an honor to be part of your lives for the past ten years and I sincerely hope that I may live to honor The Capitol for much more."

After it was done, she was not sure what she was so nerve wracked about. The speech was laced with Capitol arrogance, something Coutille did not posses. Any of her brothers and sisters back in the District could tell it was fake, the smiles, the waves. Even as she walked to join the Warriors, she could tell they felt the same way as her, forced to do something, to lie about their love for the Games in order to protect someone. Maybe their family, themselves or maybe some were like Coutille. Rebels undercover searching for a platform to speak the truth, a platform being a victor would achieve. However, even if she was to fall in the arena, she knew my life would not have been wasted. In these ten years she had been there, the coded messages to her movement back home had gained information about The Capitol they could not have known otherwise. Even the money gained from her sacrifice had funded the rebellion, leading them closer to victory.

However, every pro-Capitol speech she gave made me feel more lost and small. They might have been Capitolites but they deserved the truth. They were nothing more than brainwashed. If Coutille could just show them the pain and slaughter they cheered on and inflicted, then maybe, just maybe, they would not be so cold. They would cry, some might even join the movement. She thought that every negative event could have a positive effect if the stars aligned.

However, as the Games drew closer, Coutille began to distrust herself. She wanted to win, to place the crown on head and know she was safe from death. Sadly, as the days passed by, she was starting to wonder if that was because she wanted to help the rebellion or if she just did not want to die.


	14. District 9 Male and Female

**Three more left and I have already started writing District Ten! I really hope I can get the Warrior introductions done by the 17th when I move in. I will still continue like I said but at times, I might need to vanish for a while as, you know, University. It get easier after this and I have some cool things planned.**

 **Anyway, we have Tore and Janae from District Nine today, enjoy.**

* * *

 **Tore Dante, District Nine Male**

"Tore!" his mother shouted as she watched him dangle from the roof of the flour mill. Tore did not want to panic her but he had to admit he was starting to lose his grip. He glanced down at his mother's pained face and frowned. The woman was usually too high to think straight, it was just typical that she would _now_ decide to be a mother. Or maybe that was because he was late for the choosing of the warrior. Well, he was not late, per-say, he just refused to take part and decided to try and climb the mill instead. The instructor and children watched in awe, expecting to see their first death.

"Save my son!" his mother wailed, causing the boy to roll his eyes in disbelief. Deciding that he did not really fancy death at the young age of five, Tore did something he had not attempted before. He pulled himself up, so his chin was resting on the edge of the roof before pushing off with his feet and flipping himself onto it. It was not the most graceful thing, in fact, he almost fell through the rusty old metal. However, when he glanced down, the audience he had gathered were cheering him on, the instructor noting something down on his pad.

 **10 Years Later...**

Tore pressed the cigarette to his lips, the fiery tip lighting up the dull dawn. As he pulled it away from his face, flicking the hot ash onto the grubby ground below, he blew out a funnel of smoke, watching it twirl into the navy sky. He was in the part of The Capitol no one saw, a few forgotten back roads of boarded-up shops and weeds growing through every crack available. This part of The Capitol was the part they wanted no one to see, the part that showed they were no different from the Districts. The only real difference was, first of all, the shops would not be closed down back in Nine, a few buckets were enough to deal with the leaky roof. And secondly, there was no need for a tanning salon anywhere else but The Capitol. The people of The District's got tanned from their hard work.

However, Tore was not here to spot the differences between his home and The Capitol, he was here to impress a girl. Tore developed an interest towards Coutille when he was just ten years old but every advance he had made was met with quick rejection. Flowers and chocolate just did not work with Coutille, but maybe information would.

Coming from a hard working family, it was a struggle to adjust to life as somewhat royalty, so Tore got a part time job. Just a simple job, cleaning the floors of the presidential mansion, something usually reserved for Avox's. Thankfully, the late president had a thing for Tore so he was permitted to stay. He was never fired, even after her death, maybe they saw no point in cutting a boy loose who would be leaving in a few weeks anyway. However, this job allowed him access to information, most people could only dream of hearing.

Most secrets were small and tragic, like the late President's instants on wearing thongs even in her old age or candidate Snow's cross-dressing fetish. Not worth spreading but still enough to bring some sort of twisted joy to Tore's life. However, for the first time, Tore had heard something that was not some embarrassing secret. Something that could be innocent or backed by malicious intent. A meeting between Snow and the Presidential house representative, two that should not be meeting until after the results of the upcoming election. It was a long shot but Tore saw a silver lining in the danger if it managed to impress Coutille.

When he heard the hushed voices of someone just around the corner, Tore threw the unfinished cigarette to the floor and dived behind a rust old dustbin. The sound of his ankle length, leather coat ripping making him flinch. However, he managed to stay silent as house representative, Fields Macro, and Coriolanus Snow rounded the corner. They walked until they were at the end of the alleyway before Fields pulled out a small piece of paper. "The results, like you asked," he said with a shaky tone.

Coriolanus took the sheet from Fields and frowned. "I am last," he said dryly, clearly expecting a different response from the public. "How did Aurelia Vesta come before me?" he growled, passing it back to a guilty looking Fields.

"Well, people think you are poisoning the other candidates-"

"Then change it!" he bellowed, making the more powerful man shake with fear.

"It is out of my power, sir," he gulped, making Snow shake his head in disappointment. He paced around the alleyway until he stopped his eyes lighting up as a snake like a smile snaked across his face.

"Tell me, is there an antidote to the poison I am using?" Snow asked, stroking his graying facial hair. Fields gave a slow nod.

"If it is administered in time, yes-"

"Perfect, now, here is what I want you to do," Snow said with a slight chuckle. As he told Fields his plan, Tore was starting to feel sick. He was expecting something small like a weakness in the Arena, not the words that fell out of Snow's mouth. As the men said their goodbyes and parted ways, Tore was on the verge of tears, he was far out of his depth.

* * *

 **Janae Rayon, District Nine Female**

"Breakfast!" her mother bellowed through the house, quickly followed by the screams of six excited children. A large smile shone on Janae's face as she ran for the door, being the closest. However, as her hand landed on the door handle, her older brother grabbed her and tossed her to the side. She was passed to her five siblings, each one pushing the six year old away, snarling at her like it was her fault.

Once they had vanished into the house, Janae toddled after them, determined not to get the dregs of the porridge pot again. However, when she clambered onto her seat at the table, her siblings were already shoveling thick, warm porridge down their throats. Her mother sighed as she scraped the last dregs from the pot and placed them in the girl's bowl. The burnt bits from the bottom of the pan floating around at the top.

"After that, I want you two to get dressed for the testing," their father said sternly, pointing to Janae and her older sister.

Her seven-year-old sister smiled with her mouthful, some porridge trickling out of the corners of her mouth. "It's not like either of us are going to get picked-"

"We get a money for offering you both up, it does not matter if you both get rejected, the money is what is important."

 **10 Years later...**

Janae Rayon slowly opened her puffy eyes, her head heavy and the world spinning around her. A green haired man looked down at her and rolled his eyes and moved out of view to be replaced by Annabella, giving a soft smile. Janae went to open her mouth but it felt swollen, only a small string of saliva trickling past her enlarged lips.

"It's okay, it was just a bee sting-" Annabella squeaked, clearly freaked by the puffy faced girl.

"I think she knows that," another girl hissed. Janae turned her head to the side to see Nathalie, her arms crossed and looking unimpressed.

"Ha, if you had not insisted on fresh honey we wouldn't even be here-"

"Why you even here, Annie?" Nathalie snapped, raising a brow at the girl.

"I was the one who found her, I am not going to just leave her, why are you?"

"I ain't going to let my best slave be killed by some bee-"

"Slave you disgust me." Nathalie was about to protest when Janae raised her arm before slamming it into the bed. Hushing the girls. Janae looked up at the two with bloodshot, grey eyes, begging for them to stop. The two girls gave her a nod and fell silent.

The green haired doctor appeared by her side again, disappointment written on his face. "You are on the mend, one more hour and the toxins should be out of your system...just keep away from the bee's in the arena," he sighed before leaving the three girls alone.

Janae gave a defeated sigh as she looked up at the ceiling, her breathing still labored. She knew she had what she needed to win, the skill, the mentality and she was far smarter than she seemed.

She never truly felt like she knew her place until she was chosen to be a warrior and placed in stealth. It was not the most exciting skill to be placed in but Janae felt it suited her well. Everything she did had a hidden motive. Her loyalty to Nathalie was not loyalty at all, it was more to find out the girl's weakness'. She played to her child-like looks, acting like the sweet girl who would fall down in the bloodbath. Maybe it came from a deep rooted desire to prove herself due to coming from a family with five older siblings. Her life from the day she was born was to direct her parent's attention away from them. Sadly, Janae grew up until she was chosen feeling like a loser like she was worthless. Her parents did not even want her. That is why they gave her away.

So, to know that all her training and talent could go to waste because of a simple bee angered her. One was fine but if she was to be attacked more than a few times, without medical help, she would be dead or at least unable to fight. In fact, it did not anger her, it frightened her, making her stomach turn in ways she not think was possible.

Annabella must have noticed the tears forming in the fifteen-year-old's eyes as she frowned and asked what hurt in a concerned voice. Annabella was not one of the popular girls but she was always nice to Janae when everyone else put her down to nothing more than a child.

"I am fine, just startled," Janae managed to croak out. She also attempted to form a weak smile but her enlarged lips stayed in the same position. She couldn't spend her days being the sweet kid, Nathalie's slave or the girl who was allergic to bee's, otherwise, she was going to be eliminated. She needed to prove her worth in the upcoming training session. She needed to prove her skill to the world.

* * *

 **District Nine:**

 **Tore Dante, 15**

 **Janae Rayon, 16**


	15. District 10 Male and Female

**And I am back with another chapter. Happy how fast I got this out. The parts were these two are children are dark, I will warn you of that. I hope this gives you a different a view on Pallas. Not to change your views but just so you understand him more. He is a very interesting character I hope I am doing justice.**

 **Also, be sure to keep your eye on who you want to be paired with who for the Capitol party. You can vote whenever you want but I suggest waiting until District Twelve.**

 **Fun Fact: Belinda's childhood section was based loosely on what happened to my grandfather and his rabbit as a kid. Sounds cute, read that part, it's not.**

 **Anyway, enjoy Pallas and Belinda from District Ten!**

* * *

 **Pallas Narciso, District Ten Male**

"Pallas Narciso!" the escort cheered, followed by a pained shriek from the boy's mother. She grabbed onto her son's worn out coat, the fabric tearing as her husband pulled him away. Pallas started to cry as he watched his father claw at his mother's fingers until she lost her grip, allowing him to pull the blonde seven-year old from her.

His mother had been against his involvement in the program since he was signed up but his father longed for the money that his son being a warrior would bring. Pallas only performed so well because he knew at home was a belt waiting for him if he was rejected.

Pallas was handed over to the confused escort who placed a hand on his shoulder. However, just as he was about to announce the two Warriors, the woman shrieked once more as she broke through her husband's grip and charged towards the escort, a knife in hand. She scooped her son up in her hands but as she was about to slash the knife at the colorfully dressed man, the sound of a gun rattled the District.

The gloved hand that was over Pallas' mouth fell, along with the headless body his mother, dropping by the boy's feet. The District was full of screams, the female Warrior, Belinda Herd throwing up on the stage. However, Pallas did not make a sound as he stood there, drenched in his mother's blood, brain matter and skull caught in his hair.

"F-father?" he stuttered, turning to the shaken man who quickly ran to his side, pulling his son close so he could smell the beer on his breath.

"Everyone you love will die in that arena, you will never have a happy life...don't let anyone get close to you and if you love them, kill them before they kill you," he shouted to his son, the gunshots still ringing in his ears.

 **10 Years Later...**

"And remember, you can not be a Warrior without Warrior branded sportswear," Pallas said to the camera, a large smile on his face and his finger pointed towards the lense. The director of the advert told the cameraman to cut and the normal lighting returned. Pallas quickly pulled the cheaply made, uncomfortable top he was advertising off and passed it to an attendant. He brushed his hand through his hair as he looked around the room until his eyes met Loretta, stood with Romulus and Veyran who did not share her cheerful appearance.

"You did amazing, didn't he?" Loretta cheered as she turned to the rest of the Warriors who gave a dull cheer in response.

"Sure, if you class selling overpriced tat to the masses as amazing," Grover mumbled, his arm around Belinda as he leaned against the wall. Loretta frowned at the male before turning back to Pallas.

"Well I think you did perfect, even if what you are marketing is overpriced tat," she giggled as Pallas pulled her in for a hug. Despite his lack of popularity with the other Warriors, Pallas was deeply liked by the public. Just his face plastered on a cereal box could sell it. That matched with his bone shaking skill in hand to hand combat and survival and his close relationship with Loretta, it seemed to anyone on the outside that his life was perfect.

Pallas pushed Loretta away, holding his finger up for her to wait as he dug around in his jogging bottom pockets for a small box. Nero let out a small whimper when he saw it, making the rest of the Warriors become weary of what was inside.

"I have been wanting to do this for a while but the past few days I have felt a bit down, I am happy today so I thought now would be the best time," he said shakily as he pushed himself down onto one knee, a large smile on his face. "Loretta, would you marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?" he asked a frightened looking Loretta, the rest of the Warriors equally shocked.

Before Loretta could answer, the director, who was packing up a camera, started to laugh. "That will be a short time, you might have to kill her in a few weeks," he sighed, a few crew members chuckling in agreement.

"Why would I ever hurt her?" Pallas asked, slightly offended.

"Oh my," Grover said through stifled laughter, Ares hushing him.

"Because you will be in the arena in a few days, you know the place where twenty-three of you kids die and only one makes it out, everyone you love might die-" the director was cut off by a flying Nero who knocked him to the ground, placing his hand over his mouth.

Meanwhile, the happy expression on Pallas' face dropped, along with the ring in the box. "Pallas?" Loretta said nervously as the boy started to shake, tears spilling from his eyes.

"You are right...I am going to die, everyone I love is going to die-" he was cut off when the image of his mother being gunned down in front of him flashed into his mind, playing over and over again, clawing at the inside of his brain and reminding him about the truth he refused to admit. That he was not going to grow old with the Warriors, have children and marry Loretta, that in a few weeks he could be dead, along with everyone he cares about.

He fell to the floor, whimpering that he did not want to die, his hands over his ears as he rocked back and forth. Loretta knelt down next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder when he quickly lashed out at her, his hands going for her neck as he begged for her not to kill him. Just as they were about to grip around his neck, Grover aimed a kick at Pallas' face, missing but allowing Romilda to pull Loretta away.

"Come on, fight me if you think you are all big a macho," Grover seethed, a crazed looking in his eyes and a smile on his lips. Pallas continued to whimper, calm until Grover ran towards him, making the boy pounce at him. However, when he was just about to push Grover to the floor, Loretta pushed the dark haired boy out of the way, allowing Nero and Ares to pin Pallas down. Two strong men no match for him.

"Go get the cloth," Ares said through gritted teeth to Sunbeam who gave a quick nod and ran off down the hall.

"I could have taken him!" Grover snapped, kicking Loretta off himself.

"No, you can't-"

"You want to fight me and find out?" Grover growled back.

"You will have to fight me first," Romilda said nobly, pushing Loretta aside.

"Oh, stop trying to get in her pants just because her lad is a fruit cake-"

"Fuck sake, most of us will be dead in a couple of weeks, can it not wait until then?" Clarissa screamed, just as Sunbeam rushed back, holding a small cloth and passed it to Ares. The man then pressed it tightly onto a struggling Pallas' face until the man passed out. The Warriors then turning stare at the director in silence.

"Wow, it will be easier for you kids to kill each other than I thought."

* * *

 **Belinda Herd, District Ten Female**

Belinda sat on the stool by the back door, watching her father clean and load his shotgun. He walked over to the mirror, placing his flat cap on his head, his eyes moving to his saddened daughter.

"Why do you have to kill them?" Belinda asked, clearly trying to hold back tears. Her father sighed, walking over to his daughter and kneeling next to her.

"We don't have the funds to feed them anymore, their only use is meat," Orford Herd said, regarding the cattle ranches bulls. Times were tough for the Herds, they were at risk of losing their milking cattle as well so they had to make cuts.

Belinda gave a deep sigh. "Can you leave Midnight, please? I promise I will get a job to provide for him-"

"Which one is Midnight?" her father asked, tucking a small lock of her hair behind her ear.

"The small black calf born yesterday, you said I could keep him and I love feeding him," the girl whimpered, holding up a drawing of Midnight she had created that morning.

"Okay, I will let you keep him," her father said with a shaky voice as he stood up to exiting the house. Once he was gone, Belinda grabbed the drawing and darted under the table of the kitchen. Once hidden, she placed her hands over her ears in an attempt to block out the gunshots.

That was the day Belinda started to become untrustworthy of people, the same day her parents served Midnight up for dinner.

 **10 Years Later...**

Belinda watched in boredom as Grover poked at the food in front of him, lodging a sliver of pickle on his fork. He grimaced at the food before him and flung it across the room, wincing when it landed on a Capitolites hat. Belinda was not sure what to do, she had never been on a date before and by the looks of it, neither had Grover. The dude was used to getting girls in bed first time. However, Belinda was not going to be that easy.

"I am guessing you do not like the food," Belinda giggled, leaning her head on her right hand.

Grover sighed as he pushed his plate away from him. "Whatever happened to just a simple stake?"

"Whatever happened to kids being kids and not being forced to kill each other?" Belinda muttered, Grover, nodding in agreement as he gave an angered groan. At that moment Grover's arm lit up, his Arm Watch, the latest in Capitol technology projecting a text message in front of him.

 _I am assuming tonight is called off then?-Laurel_

"What's that?" Belinda asked, shakier than she intended. Without missing a beat, Grover closed the message and gave a shrug.

"Just my mentor, Laurel Zetta, we were meant to have some extra training sessions, I forgot to tell her." He said it so cool, most people would have believed him and moved on but Belinda couldn't. She had been let down a number of times and she was not going to allow herself to be made a fool of again. Trust was a thing that had to be earned with Belinda so she pressed on.

"I thought Gerhard was you mentor-"

"He is but he is always drunk, at least Laurel teaches me stuff, everything I have learned is from her." Grover sighed, pulling out the menu, ready to pick something else to eat.

"How do you pay her-"

"Crying out loud, Bel, I ain't sleeping with her!" Grover snapped, making some of the restaurant guests look around in disgust. Grover straightened his tie and leaned in closer. "She is with Gerhard, just don't tell anyone, I was told in confidence...plus, I am not that type of guy, I would not have asked you here if I was a taken man." he said softly, a kind smile playing on his lips.

Belinda thought it over then gave a small nod, a guilty look on her face. "I am sorry for assuming, not the best history with trust...you should still reply, though, tell her you can't make it." she said, a trusting shimmer in her eyes as Grover pulled the screen back up and began to type.

 _Sorry, something came up, g2g, speak soon-Grover._

"Right, not that is out of the way, how was your day?" Grover asked, turning off his Arm Watch and scanning the menu.

"You was with me all day-"

" _Okay_ , what did you think of the whole proposal?" He asked, slightly irritated.

"I thought it was sweet, has Loretta given an answer?" Belinda asked, picking an olive off her plate and placing it tenderly in her mouth.

"Nope, I still think Pallas is asleep from his meltdown, creep," Grover grumbled, nursing his injured pride due to Loretta assuming he could not take Pallas. "I think I will try the chicken soup, can't go wrong with that...hopefully-"

"Pallas is not a creep, he is a kind man who is scarred from his past, you would be the same if your mother was shot in front of you-"

"I would fucking bathe in my mother's blood, I hate the bitch," Grover growled, waving the waiter over. Belinda waited as the Grover made the order before she continued.

"I think that is a slight overreaction, I and my mother don't get on well but I would never wish death upon her," she said softly, causing Grover grab her hand and look into her eyes.

"You are right, we all hate our parents but deep down, yeah, we love 'em...but you know, if you keep being this kind, you will never win." Belinda thought about his words for a second, pulling away and straightening her back.

"I will be a different person in that Arena, I will be who I need to be to survive but for now, I just want to be me."

* * *

 **District 10:**

 **Pallas Narciso-17**

 **Belinda Herd-16**

 **So yeah, my grandfather had a pet rabbit that got cooked into a pie, lovely.**


	16. District 11 Male and Female

**I got a very interesting pair this time, not something I expected to get but glad to have as part of the group. I hope you have as much fun reading them as I did writing them. One more District, it looks like I might have all the introductions done before University so yay!**

 **I am in a group chat currently with all my housemates at uni and I am so lost XD I have never been a social butterfly and just have no clue what to say. But hey, I am trying ^_^**

 **Enjoy Vulcan and Clarissa from District Eleven.**

* * *

 **Vulcan Omiros, District Eleven Male**

The cameraman panned across the stage, focusing on all the terrified looking children and their families as they awaited the announcement of the chosen child. To ensure that no mishaps were to occur, the reapings were filmed in advanced and edited to meet the required standards to be broadcasted to the public. Chopping and slicing the footage to make The Capitol seem merciful towards the twenty-three children that would be dead in ten years time. What was distasteful in the eyes of the District was a gift to the camera operators. It allowed them to re-shoot and get the best shots without worrying about what was being shown on screens across Panem.

However, as he panned over to the final family, a child slammed into the camera, pulling it in closer. The dark haired boy with muddy blue eyes smiled with glee through the lens, his two front teeth missing.

"Move it, kid, you fucking up my shot!" the camera operator spat in a thick District Three accent. The boy pouted as he jumped back onto the stage, his mother gripping his arm and pulling him towards the rest of the children.

"Vulcan, please...what would your father say-"

"He likes camera's too!" the small boy whined, standing on his toes as he looked up at his mother. The young woman glanced back at the crowd, hoping to see the face of her hardworking husband, the only man who could control their son. However, as the announcement drew closer, it became clear he had failed to get time off from the plantation.

As the escort made his speech, announcing the chosen girl, Vulcan's mother pulled him close, gripping his shoulder tightly. "I promise we will go for a walk after this is over and done with...if you are an extra good boy, I might even buy you a-"

"And the male tribute is, Vulcan Omiros!" the escort cheered, gesturing towards the curly haired boy who quickly hid behind his mother. As the crowd gave an agitated cheer, Vulcan's mother stood there frozen, her body shaking as they pulled her son away from her tight grip.

 **10 Years Later...**

"I think I am going to call this little guy Lica," Vulcan said towards the camera as he allowed a small red fox to chase around the meat in a sock he had attached to a stick. He allowed a small grin as he watched the little tod leap into the air, twist, and land a few centimeters away from his target. It shook its head, shaking the dust off its fur, setting its sights on the moving sock once more. "Now, this little tod is only a month old, so he is only a cub...Foxes are part of the dog family and their scientific name is Vulpes."

As he spoke, the cub looked at him, cocking his head to the side until he caught sight of the sock again. "If you are wondering why I referred to him as a tod, that is one of the many male names for this creature along with dog fox, the females are simply called vixens." Vulcan reached out his hand to stroke the fuzzy looking fur but when his hand touched the small animal, it let out a little yelp, falling to the ground. It's startled appearance was short lived when Lica caught site of the sock again.

Every time Vulcan looked at an animal like Lica, he wondered what their life was like. A life with no District's, rules or Games, just freedom. Along with this, he wondered how far he could run off into the woods before The Capitol caught up with him. They would someday but how long would he have before the found him and shot him down? Days? Months? Years? Even a few hours would be a strong possibility but would it be worth it? To roll down the hill, to run in the streams, chase rabbits and clamber up the tallest tree's so he could see the whole world. Would it be worth the certainty for capture and death just to be no one for a while?

Vulcan pictured it, a world where he was not Vulcan Omiros from District Eleven, a Warrior. A world where he awoke to fresh air and a beautiful sunrise, where he was just another animal trying to survive and his death would further another creature's existence instead of the entertainment of a nation either too far up their own asses or too frightened to protest. It was true that the boy never excelled in the survival part of training and could not get past finding a few berries and water but it sounded nice, being who he wanted, not what the people who owned him said he was.

"Is that your new pet?" a gruff voice questioned from behind the tree line. Vulcan jumped, making Lica scamper into the bushes. "Sorry-"

"It's fine," Vulcan sighed, throwing the stick down to the ground as Damon slipped out from the shadow of the tree's looking guilty.

"What are you doing?" he asked as Vulcan stood, turning his camera off and packing it away.

"I make small videos about the wildlife around here, to send to my parents...you know, so they get to see some of the world...the nice side of it," Vulcan said through of a ghost of a smile. It was not like what he was doing was against the law, they were a few feet away from the boundary line, it was just advised for their safety that they were not there.

"Huh, I thought you came out here to think about running away or something," Damon laughed, earning a confused look from the dark haired boy as if to say _how did you know?_ "Oh come on dude, that's the most cliche thing you could do out here-"

"Don't you think about sometimes? Running away into the wild and being something other than a warrior? Something more than a prisoner?" Vulcan asked, a dazed smile tugging at his lips as he watched the low sun light up the valley before him.

"What? Dead?" Damon scoffed. Vulcan sighed, glaring at his boyfriend who quickly held his hands up in defense. "Okay, I am sorry," he gasped, following the boy's gaze as he watched a group of ducks flies just above the tree light, silhouetting against the setting sun. "So, are we doing this or not?" Vulcan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the tall male. "Y'know, making a run for it, we only have an hour of sunlight left, we should make it to the treeline before complete darkness arrives...I give it three more hours before they send out a search party then the second it gets light we start moving again-"

"They would catch us and then we would die," Vulcan sighed, disappointed that Damon's plan was flawed.

"Yeah but they will catch us one day anyway, it's if you would rather die out there or in some gladiator style battle." Vulcan seemed to ponder over this before shaking his head.

"I would rather not die a criminal and at least I have a chance in the arena."

"So, if we ain't running off into the sunset and little old Foxface-"

"Lica-"

"Whatever, can we go inside? It's cold." Vulcan looked over to the blonde male with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Can we watch the sunset-"

"Fine!" Damon growled playfully as he sat down on the dusty ground along with Vulcan. "But you are being my pillow," he grunted, leaning his head on the boy's shoulders.

* * *

 **Clarissa Slivia, District Eleven Female**

Clarissa dragged her pale, bony hand across the window with defeat. The squeak made drowning out the sound of the children playing outside for a few seconds. Her sunken blue eyes watched with fascination as the older children kicked the ball to each other. Sometimes they would tackle each other to the ground if they got it in the net. It was something the dark haired girl did not understand and most likely never would.

The orphanage doctor told her she would never make it past a year in her state. The constant bullying, stealing of food and illnesses taking a toll on the six-year-old. The disgusted looks she received from hopeful parents making her feel more unwanted than the fact her mother gave her up. She interfered with her mother's "work" and no one wanted to adopt a sickly looking child. Times were tough as it was.

She had become one of the children who were a drain on resources, she would never be adopted and she was on death's door. Even if she went downstairs, there was never any food for her so she stopped attending dinner. Some nights if she got hungry, she would make her way into the kitchen when everyone was in bed and eat scraps out of the bin. As much as she tried to ignore the hunger that tore through her body, the mouth watering smell of a hog roast downstairs made her want to cry. All that would be left for her would be some crackling if she was lucky.

However, unknown to the girl, officials had changed her life forever, turning the greed of her owners into a lifeline for the young girl. So when her door flung open and her name was called, her childish mind could not comprehend the amount her life was about to change.

"I don't think they will even take this one," the large warden grunted as she leads Clarissa into the dining room.

"They said they take any child," the cook replied as she turned the pig carcass over the fire.

"Is there any point of feeding her, though? Not like she will get picked...waste of money if you ask me-"

"The money we would get from even one of these children getting chosen is worth more than we would ever earn...I am not letting this opportunity pass by." The warden grunted in response as she pushed Clarissa over to an empty chair at the large table. All around her were children her age, shoveling the meat they were served into their mouths like someone would take it away. When the attendant came over to her, she smiled down at the weak child.

"Eat all of this and you might become a Warrior she said with glee as she dumped the greasy meat on the pale before Clarissa.

 **10 Years Later...**

Clarissa looked out over the pool of people who stood before her, in the bowed position as they chanted "our Lady Clarissa," it made her smile as the fading sun shone through the cracks in the boarded up windows. The room she was currently in was not a pretty sight but the candles dotted around the room gave it a warm glow.

For nine years these people had worshiped her. Something to do with the sun shining on her when she was chosen, Clarissa did not understand it herself. However, one thing she did know was that she was not about to turn down pretending she was a god. Not when she could use it to her own advantages.

The election was a prime time to use her power. Never being one to agree with the Games in the first place, when a potential president who was willing to abolish the Games and one who wanted to make the bigger than ever came along, she could not let it pass.

So far her false teachings of how Candidate Snow was a demon, sent to ruin Panem, had worked as in every popularity poll so far, Snow had come last. Her preferred candidate, Aurelia Vesta had placed under winning candidate Cassia Moran but she was only a few votes behind. It was exciting to know that someone was so close to ending The Games, as the election was tonight, maybe before Clarissa was forced to compete, she could go home. A thought that made her all fuzzy inside. However, when the door to the building swung open, a skinny looking man named Rai rushing inside, Clarissa's heart sank.

"Coriolanus Snow was admitted to hospital for poisoning," he screamed, the group of supporters in front of Clarissa standing up in shock.

"Is he dead?" Clarissa squeaked, her mind begging for what she feared to not be true.

"No, he will simply suffer mouth and throat sores and had vowed to still run tonight." Clarissa rolled her eyes. Of course, he would. However, when she looked back, her following was looking at her in shock.

"Lady Clarissa, you said that Snow was the one poisoning the candidates...why would someone poisoned themselves?" one woman asked, her Capitol accent cutting through the still air. Clarissa did not know what to say. She had looked deeply into it, her job as a Warrior allowing her to have access to classified information. Everything pointed to Snow, so much so a court would find him guilty. However, Clarissa was not even sure Snow was power hungry enough to subject himself a life of mouth sores to get himself off the hook.

"Do not fall for the demon's tricks, he will burn this country down to the ground, punish the weak and helpless, watching them rot in those god-forsaken arena's while he tends to his garden! Do not let his trickery blind you my followers!" she bellowed, a little more unsure than most days.

The truth was, Clarissa had no idea what she was doing, she was too young to say something back when she was just a child and here she was, seen as some sort of god, brainwashing innocent, confused people to make the world how she wanted. Something that when she thought about it, didn't make her feel any different from Snow.

She sighed as she flopped back down into her chair, one follower running off to get her some water. "Who do they _think_ poisoned him?" Clarissa asked, awaiting the answer she knew she would regret.

"Candidate Aurelia Vesta, Lady Clarissa,"

* * *

 **District Eleven:**

 **Vulcan Omiros-17**

 **Clarissa Silvia-16**


	17. District 12 Male and Female

**People, I did it! I completed the introductions (same as the reapings) for my third SYOT! I am so happy and I also finished it before Uni so I completed my goal. Now we get down to all the fun pre-game stuff.**

 **Next is chariots and then an introduction to the mentors and then, training, which will be very different to what you are expecting but fun.**

 **Right, so questions, just as I promised. Same as before, most are worth TWO points but some will be worth just a bit more.**

 **-What ships do you have? (2 points)**

 **-Who do you think is most likely to win? (2 points)**

 **-Who do you think will be eliminated? (3 points)**

 **-Who do you want to win? (2 points)**

 **-Favorite Warrior? (2 points)**

 **-(Through PM) Who do you want to pair for The Capitol party. Warriors can only go with Warriors. Sending in three tributes pairs or less (pairing up six different tributes) gets you ONE point. Sending in four to six tribute pairs gets you TWO points. Sending in five to nine tribute pairs gets you THREE points. Sending in ten to eleven tribute pairs gets you FOUR points. And pairing up all the tributes gets you SIX points.**

 **It works on a popularity voting system. If three people vote for Grover to be with Belinda but four people vote for him to go with Ares, Grover goes to the party with Ares. So try and send in 12 pairs, even if some of them are stupid and for fun.**

 **Oh, that's right, you can send same gender pairs as well. So basically go nuts but try and keep some realism as they have to ask the person they go with themselves.**

 **So there you go, that is all the questions for today. I hope you enjoy our final two Warriors, Berik and Venus. I shall see you at the chariot rides!**

* * *

 **Berik Mathews, District Twelve Male**

"No criminals get past this bounty hunter!" a yellow haired man cheered, pointing to himself. The screen faded out, golden letters forming the words "Capitol Bounty" and the time the episode would be aired. An episode that Berik could never see but the advert excited him nonetheless. The action as the yellow haired bounty-hunter attacked the criminals, his gun hitting his target every time making him bounce.

As the tv finished it's advert break and reverted back to the Games, Berik turned to his mother with a large smile, his eyes shimmering. "I am going to be a bounty hunter too, one day!" he screamed with delight.

His mother, a young blonde girl with a warm appearance gave a smile. "I am sure you will," she said softly as she sewed some new buttons onto Berik's hand me down coat.

With a happy giggle, the young boy turned back to the screen, ignoring the pair of tributes walked back to back through the darkness. The Advert still played over in his head, the image of himself replacing the Capitol man.

 **10 Years Later...**

Berik looked up at the image that was projected onto the grubby wall of the bar. The bartender followed his gaze and frowned as he placed a glass on the shelf next to him. Berik smiled, not that the man would have seen it, the boy's face covered by a thick balaclava and his hood hiding his signature blonde hair. Thankfully, for Berik, the bar was virtually empty aside from the bartender, a man playing the harmonica, Berik and his target.

"These fucking bounty hunters man, don't give a man a break," a green haired man scoffed from next to Berik, his blue, botox filled lips struggling to not let his beer slip past them. Berik gave a small tongue click as he pulled his whiskey closer, glancing at the man with his sky blue eyes.

"Have they not managed to catch ya' yet?" he asked, one hand tracing the rim of the glass while the other moved to his belt.

"Nope," he chuckled, his golden eyes shining with pride. "Can not even find me-"

With the cocking of a gun and the sound of the bartender dropping his glass, Berik stood up and pointed his gun at the man, his balaclava falling to show a cool smirk. "Look, we don't want any trouble, Mr. Mathews," the bartender stuttered, holding up his hands in surrender.

Berik stepped forward spinning the startled man around and placing the gun against the back of his head. "Now, we are going to march your ass right up to the steps of the police station and I am going to get that juicy money," he grinned, his breath hot against the man's ear.

"Why do you need the money? you are a warrior," the man seethed. Berik just gave a small shrug in reply.

"A man has to have a hobby, right? Now move!" he growled, pushing the man on with the barrel of the gun. With a defeated groan the man complied, the musician holding the door open for the two as they exited the building.

As Berik told the man to turn the corner, he became increasingly worried about how well the man was complying. It happened from time to time, criminals being good sports as they were marched towards the jail. But it did not seem in character for such a wanted thief as Clarios who would just be turned into an Avox no doubt. Maybe the man was oblivious but even so, Berik should have known better than to answer his arm watch when it rang.

"Annie!" he cheered as the girls face appeared before him, forcing a small smile. As she opened her mouth to speak, Berik pinned Clarios up against the wall with his gun.

"Hello, Berik...where are you, Nero has been trying to reach you all day-"

"I have, erm, been busy."

"Then why did you answer me?" Annabella asked, crossing her arms as she awaited his answer. _Because I love you and your face is much nicer to look at that Nero's_ Berik thought as he tried to think up an answer.

As he went to open his mouth, Clarios did a sharp turn, snatching the gun out of Berik's hand and kicking him in the groin.

"Berik!" Annabella shouted as she watched from her end of the screen as Berik fell down into the fetal position.

"I gotta go," Berik whimpered as he turned his watch off, the sound of gun shots shaking the small side street in front of him. "You are doing great honey," he sighed to himself, stumbling to his feet.

* * *

 **Venus Atwood, District Twelve Female**

A six-year-old Venus Atwood looked out over the crowd that had gathered for the announcement of the warrior. Her blue eyes glanced back over to her parents who frowned, hoping it would not be their daughter who had been chosen. They expected for their child to be removed from the running during the first day but she just kept going, coming out top in almost all of the tasks.

"Berik Mathews!" the escort called, a startled young boy being pushed forward, away from his parents who looked broken by their loss. Venus' parents understood their guilt. Times were hard in twelve, most of all for the Atwood family. They lost their eldest child and son, Tiberius, in the mines. In an attempt to feed their six children, the family was forced to put one of their children to volunteer just for the money. It was either Venus or her sister Lina. They went with choosing the elder of the two.

However, as Venus' name was called, a crushing guilt overcame them. Deep down they knew it was either they put their daughter forward or they starved but they couldn't help but hate themselves as they daughter was dragged away from them. They had signed their daughter up to die in ten years time and there was nothing they could do about it.

 **10 Years Later...**

"I don't like this," Maurice whimpered as he fastened his seatbelt, his hands shaking. The small rust bucket of a car he was forced into to partake in such a "fun" activity not helping him along. Venus let out a small laugh as she adjusted her seat to be closer to her wheel.

"Come on, are you from District number One or District number none?" she cheered, her eyes full of adrenalin. Maurice's fear was now replaced with of confusion until Marzio popped between the seats, a large smile on his face.

"Come on Mauricie-"

"Don't call me that please, I just don't want to fucking die in a car crash!" he snapped, slamming his hands on the dashboard. The car fell silent as one of the panels fell off.

"Say's the dude who is about to go into The Hunger Games," Marzio scoffed. "Look, Venus would not have invited us if there was any chance of us being killed." Maurice looked towards the dark haired girl who shook her head.

"Yep, you are in safe hands kiddo!" she laughed, fist bumping Marzio. Maurice was not so sure how safe he felt in a destruction derby. The car wrecks around him, smoking in the midday heat. _You're going to end up in one of those wrecks, Maurice roast for everyone!_ His thoughts screamed.

He was not even sure why he was here. Up until that day, Venus had not really interacted with him but randomly asked if he wanted to go for a "drive". Maurice had a nice, teenage drive down some dirt roads in mind, not a fast track to broken limbs.

"Live a little," Venus cheered as she pulled the keys out of her pocket. The whole thing was to test Maurice's endurance. It was originally Marzio's idea, the only person she would think about allying with. Maurice was a lone wolf, people had no clue about him. This was to test the nerve the boy had. It was looking good for the pair as the second Venus started to take off, Maurice gave a yelp, clawing at his chair.

Venus screamed in delight, at the strange rush being in such a dangerous situation, even if she had calculated the risks and knew it was safe. However, nothing could compare with the butterfly's she gained when she turned a corner, her body slamming into the door. It was made even better by Marzio's cheers and Maurice's girly screams.

When the car finally came to a stop after a seemingly endless barrage of beaters driven by similarly adrenaline high drivers, it's bodywork bent and broken within an inch of it's life, the roll cage being the only totally intact element, Maurice looked like he was about to be sick, his body shaking. He scowled when Marzio and Venus giggled at his reaction, Venus mimicking his high pitched screaming. "Racing not your thing, then?" Venus asked the green looking boy who shook his head.

"On the bright side, you only have to kill us in the arena, not race us," Marzio said in a playful tone.

* * *

 **The Warriors**

 **District One:**

 **Maurice Powers-16**

 **Sunbeam Feyre-17**

 **District Two:**

 **Nero Anghal-17**

 **Evelyn Spires -17**

 **District Three:**

 **Annabella Giada-17**

 **Marzio Ottone-16**

 **District Four:**

 **Romilda Vasilios-17**

 **Shelly Bereg-15**

 **District Five:**

 **Damon Romulus-16**

 **Nathalie Sibylla-17**

 **District Six:**

 **Veyran Maverick-17**

 **Loretta Moriko-17**

 **District Seven:**

 **Grover Lindall-17**

 **Balina Abbot-17**

 **District Eight:**

 **Ares Walker-17**

 **Coutille Harrow-15**

 **District Nine:**

 **Tore Dante-15**

 **Janae Rayon-16**

 **District Ten:**

 **Belinda Herd-16**

 **Pallas Narciso-17**

 **District Eleven:**

 **Vulcan Omiros-17**

 **Clarissa Silvia-16**

 **District Twelve:**

 **Berik Mathews-17**

 **Venus Atwood-16**


	18. Chariot Rides-Lightning Then The Thunder

**" _Here we are,_**

 ** _don't turn away now,_**

 ** _We are the Warriors that built this town,_**

 ** _from dust_ "**

 **-Warriors by Imagine Dragons (one of the many influences for this story)**

* * *

 **I am super proud of this chapter. For ages when it drew closer, I had no clue how I was going to write it so I went with our good old Gamemaker, Cadmus Agne. My pride also comes from the carefully designed outfits. I must have saved about thirty reference photo's and researched multiple sites (and a book) to find out what each District theme would be. I hope you like them and enjoy this chapter.**

 **We will be seeing Cadmus and Amaryllis from chapter two and we also meet Ryken Veux, the new master of ceremonies who we will be meeting more in the future. These three are both featured on the Important People section on the blog at** **chosenw35thhgDOTWeeblyDOTcom**

 **I have some questions that, as always, are worth points. Thank you to everyone who has answered the questions, sent in pairs or just reviewed. I am thankful for everything and I love seeing your thoughts on my chapters!**

 **-What do you think of my representation of Snow? (1 point)**

 **-What do you think to Cadmus, Amaryllis and Ryken? (3 points)**

 **-What did you think of the chapter (and if a returning reader, how does it compare to my other two chariot chapters)? (2 points)**

 **-Thoughts on the costumes? (2 points)**

 **-Favorite Costume? (1 point)**

 **-What would your character(s) think about their outfit? (3 points)**

 **-What do you think the theme is? (1 point)**

 **Enjoy, I am excited to see what you think!**

* * *

 **Cadmus Agne, Head Gamemaker**

Cadmus Agne could not shake the feeling that his idea had only been passed due to the lack of a president to overrule them. His Arena was grand, like nothing that had even been tried before, fit for twenty-four trained killers. However, the dark haired man was worried he would not be around to see it in action. Well, he knew they would have to accept his Arena, it had already been built but that did not mean he would make it past the Parade.

His idea did not transition too well into parade outfit's, something usually modeled around the District the tributes came from. However, as the Warriors were so disconnected to their homes, Cadmus had different things to model them after. Things that would make or break them in the arena. However, if the stylists reactions to his theme for each District were anything to go by, he was not going to be a fan favorite with the public or the new president seated close by. He just hoped they allowed him to show the method behind his madness before they threw him in the loony bin.

The deep, manly voice of Ryken Veux, the new master of ceremonies, cut through the tense but excited air of Tribute Walk. Females and men alike swooned at the image of his handsome face that appeared on the screen above where the officials stood. The Gamemaker followed their gaze, envying Ryken's job. To Cadmus, the dark haired presenter had it easy, wow the crowd with his smooth voice and looks and he was safe from criticism. Cadmus, on the other hand, could be killed for presenting the wrong theme at the chariots, a theme that meant so much to him.

Cadmus could not help but loosen the tie around his neck as he watched the newly elected president, Coriolanus Snow, shown to his seat, offering his attempt at a warm smile. His sister Amaryllis Snow, took the seat next to Cadmus, the Game Maker's old flame blushing when her eyes met his.

"Cadmus Agne?" Snow asked, straightening out his suit as he seemingly sized the man up. Cadmus scrambled to his feet, clearing his throat as he gave a nod. "Wonderful, I dearly hope we can work together through the years, developing a bond a president and his Gamemaker should have, Mr. Agne," Snow said sternly, like Cadmus did not have a choice in the matter. _Please me or die,_ Would have better the translation of his words.

Cadmus took the man's right hand in his left, shaking it tightly. "So do I, sir...I wish you luck tonight-"

"My dear boy, luck will have nothing to do with it, I mean, you could wish me the skill but I clearly already have that." the man gave a snake like grin before turning away and taking his seat. Cadmus, slightly bewildered, sat down, trying to take in the man's words. He must have looked worried as Amaryllis placed her hands on his, a warm, encouraging smile playing on her lips. So much more appealing than her brother's slimy one.

The increasing sounds of trumpets started to drone out Ryken's voice, or maybe that was the chanting of the excited crowd. The excitement of seeing the children they had watched grow over ten years, for some, even grown up with. Watching them paraded down Tribute Walk, lapping up the attention from their adoring fans. Cadmus did not see the appeal but he did not care, as long as it went well and got him in the president's good books. Even more so when it came to impressing Amaryllis, the girl he craved. Craved? No, that sounded strange, more like desired. Yes, desired.

"Let's hear it for your Warriors!" Ryken cheered, the crowd screaming in delight as the golden doors to the launch area where pulled open by stone looking Avoxs. With a bone shattering bang, the doors were dropped and locked in place, silence flooding over the crowd aside from a few hushed whispers regarding the lack of action. Even Amaryllis turned to Cadmus with a worried look but the man just gave a silent smile in return.

Suddenly, the sound of thirty, goat skin drums shattered the silence, a simple, single strike, allowed to echo, quickly followed by four, fast beats. Amaryllis gave a little yelp, squeezing Cadmus' hand when the thirty drummers bellowed, what can only be described as a war cry.

They repeated this musical intro three more times until Tribute Walk faded into a dark silence. However, seconds later each drum sounded one after the other, Tribute Walk lighting up with each strike of a drum until the silver lights around the doors burst to life.

The crowd cheered and Cadmus gave a sigh of relief as the Panem anthem rang through the night, the first chariot bursting out of the darkness and into the light of Tribute Walk. Each horse and chariot were painted to look like stone, like they had been turned by Medusa herself. However, what they carried was what Cadmus wanted people to focus on. His ideas brought to life right in front of him.

The District One's performed as expected, waving with large, toothy smiles on their faces. However, Maurice seemed far more unsure about his chariot costume than Sunbeam. Maurice was dressed in a white, feather suit with two large wings attached to his back. Sunbeam, however, was dressed in a white feather ball gown, elbow length gloves and crown. Like her District partner, she also shared the large, white wings seemingly growing out of her back. The two both sported ice blue contacts, snow white skin, orange lips and dark, black feathers around their eyes. The looked beautiful.

Second was Two who for once did not look menacing but rather cute. While Nero smiled and waved at the crowd around him, Evelyn cheered and fist bumped the air like a true warrior. The two were dressed in brown, fur chitons that were so ripped at the bottom, they looked like a dog had torn them apart. On Top of their head was a fur hood, topped off with two small ears and a flowing black, silk cape. Compared to District one, their makeup was simple with a smoky eye look.

Next out of the gate was District Three and their, _unusual_ costume. Both Marzio and Annabella looked uncomfortable, each cat call making them shrink into themselves, no matter how hard they tried. It was understandable from both parties. The pair were naked, only covered in grey body paint, and they had covered _every_ inch. On their hands and feet were hooves and on their head was a bronze, donkey mask. The mask even came with a mane matching each tributes natural hair colour to make up for what was hidden under a bald cap. Overall, Cadmus felt sorry for the pair. They looked like jackasses and their stylists clearly missed the point of their theme.

Four were more up to scratch with a flexing Romilda making the girls swoon and Shelly drumming up as much support as she could. Oh, their costumes were pretty amazing too. Romilda was dressed in a scale covered suit that was dotted with shells and sea urchins. On Top of his head was a crowd designed to look like a dorsal fin that illuminated his face. Shelly looked stunning in her outfit. Like Romilda, she sported a dorsal fin crown but this one stood an inch above her head, sharp as a knife. However, the light inside moved like water, giving the crown and deep sea feel. She was suited in a blue scale jumpsuit with blue coral looking shoulder pads. Both Romilda and Shelly shared the same blue scaled face.

District Five were the first District that confused the crowd, the first one that made them realise this was not your average theme. Damon and Nathalie were dressed as black sheep, both dressed in wooly, black dresses that teacuped at the bottom. Their body was painted to look like black wool, their hair replaced with a black, curly wig. On Top of that were two, large, curled horns. Like District Three, the pair were subjected to hooves on their hands and feet but they were split down the middle. To add to it, the two both had contacts that made their eyes resemble that of a sheep. Nathalie tried to smile and wave but had trouble hiding her distaste for the costume. Damon on the other hand just looked happy to be there and gathered the most cheers out of the two.

District Six once again paraded feathers. Both were in jumpsuits that, like District One, were covered in white feathers. However, attached to their arms were wings, large, real feathered wings that the pair spread out to their full size, which was hard with Veyron's height. The tips of the wings were black and although they had white skin and orange lips, they traded out District One's feather makeup for simple black eyeliner. Veyron seemed shy but waved and caught a rose that was tossed towards him. Loretta was far more cheerful, bouncing around the chariot like she was truly going to take flight, getting the crowd to cheer her name.

Seven looked like something out of an era gone by with their clockwork dress and suit. Brown wings bursting out of their back. Their dark hair replaced with owl feathers with a feathered crown upon their head. Their eyelids were blacked out but under their eyes was white, making them appear larger. Around, much like District One, were small owl feathers framing their eyes. Balina was very modest with her approach, smiling a sweet smile and waving elegantly. Grover, on the other hand, balanced on the front of the chariot, encouraging the crowd to chant his name.

Next was District Eight, their costume raising a few eyebrows from the audience. However, Cadmus loved it. Both Ares and Coutille were dressed in what can only be described as torn, grey robe. Like something out of a halloween store that is built to look like it has been buried underground. However, it covered their whole body, their face being the only exposed skin. Their faces were framed by grey crystals, made to look like rain and above their heads was a large, grey cloud that flickered to the sound of the music. The crowd jumping at the crackling thunder that seemingly surrounded the chariot. Their faces were plain aside from a cloud of blue and purple that snaked across their face, bringing attention to the lightning fork that flickered. Ares looked like a child in a candy store. Leaping around the chariot and catching an abundance of roses, even some who were thrown to Coutille. However, the girl did not seem to mind, offering a friendly smile towards the boy, the only time she would smile.

Nine brought along some cat calls that seemed to make the tributes uneasy. They were deers, that much was obvious but it was what they were wearing. Although both shared the deer face paint, like they had attended a party, their clothing was far different. Janae wore fur boots that ended in hooves on her feet, the only other main clothing item on her body was a brown, fur unitard that showed off her hourglass shape. The unitard was slit down the middle, held together by rope, showing off her stomach and the side of her breasts. The girl also sported fur sholder pads. Tore on the other hand looked like something from a strip club in the bad part of town. Like Janae, he had fur, hooved boots that reached up to his thighs. However, unlike his female District Partner, he got the privilege of wearing fur pants. Sadly, what he made up for on the bottom he lost on the top, shirtless with brown, fur shoulder pads and towering golden antlers on top of his head. The two tried to smile and wave but they both seemed embarrassed and done with the night.

District Ten lit up the room with Belinda and Pallas dressed as peacocks. Both wore unitards covered in peacock feathers, something that looked stunning on Belinda and rather off putting on a muscular Pallas. Coming out of the back was two metre long feathers that sparkled in the spot lights making the pair stand out. Both also sported feathers crowns, feather pattern on their face and multicoloured jewels that snaked around the body, shimmering against their skin. Belinda looked happy than ever as she blew kisses to the crowd and catched roses they threw towards her. However, her bounty compared to Pallas looked small, the boy receiving dozens of roses, most attached with phone numbers.

District Eleven was sadly the fire without the spark. Their shimmering suits trying hard to resemble fire but failing. Clarissa was dressed in a red, flame shaped bra and and a small piece of fabric that hung down around her waist, showing off her hips and legs but covering her more private parts. Around her neck was a gold collar attached two orange silk wings that also attached around her wrists. Vulcan was dressed in a far more simple fashion with a flame designed vest top and shorts, his body painted to look like flames. The only thing even remotely fire-like about the pair was their eye makeup that looked so realistic their faces could have truly been on fire. Overall, average for a stylist's first year but still utterly boring. Nowhere was this more evident that on Clarissa and Vulcan's face. Waving but no problem showing how bored they were.

District Twelve was the final one and the most confusing. Wolves was the theme Cadmus had given their stylist's yet he was shocked when they came out in leather armour, a grey, fur cape and a large wolf skull on their heads. Only the difference in body shape alerted the crowd to who was what tribute. Few people cheered, finding the look more confusing than the naked coal miners from the year before. However, Berik took the embarrassing situation into his own hands and roared his name, gesturing for the crowd to chant it with him. Venus later joined in, chanting her own name towards the crowd, thankfully for Cadmus, gathering the excitement back up.

As the tributes started to circle that Capitol seal that was engraved into the ground at the end of the walk, Snow turned to Cadmus. The older male gave a nod of reassurance, allowing The Gamemaker to relax. He did not need words to know he had impressed this president, the small gesture was all he needed to know he was in the clear with his outfit themes.

Cadmus was also pleased that his second in command, Maximus, had not messed up any of the parade. He had to admit, he was unsure about allowing Maximus to take control with nothing more than a set of strict instructions. However, Snow had requested his presence and in Panem, you do as the President asks.

As Snow rose to his feet, his fiddled with a white rose on his breast pocket before going towards the tributes. He looked down at the Warriors, his eyes scanning each one and taking in their appearance. He wanted to know each and everyone deeply beyond the reality show, he wanted to make sure his first victor would comply to _his_ rules. "Warriors, as your new president it is my honour to thank you for the years of entertainment and the sacrifice that your families made. Such bravery has not gone unrewarded as for ten years, we have raised you as our own children. Now, on the last leg of your journey, it is your turn to carry the mantel of sacrifice your families once held. As you enter the Arena, you will also hold the torch of bravery, lighting up your path to victory. For you are children, no more. But neither are you adults, you are warriors, defenders of Panem. For one of you will walk through the darkness, forming a golden crown from the burning rocks of the underworld to place upon your head in victory. I trust that whoever among you this victor may be, will be welcomed by all as they represent everything that Panem stands for. Bravery, sacrifice, mercy, strength and most of all, hard earned victory. So, darest Warriors of Panem, we wish you, happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour."

After he said this, the crowd screamed to life, cheering him on, and chanting his name. Before he left his stand, his eyes made contact with a scowling Clarissa who promptly stuck her tongue out in defiance as the horses started to pull her chariot away. Snow simply smiled, turning away from the audience and vanishing tributes and towards his adoring officials.

"If all guests will kindly make their way to the dining area, Dinner will be served shortly," a smartly dressed man said, holding his head high as he gestured towards the exit. A flood of already tipsy officials stumbled past him, loudly chattering about their favorite tributes, costumes and what food they planned to devour. Snow held back, holding a white napkin to his mouth. As he pulled it away, Cadmus could not help but notice the deep, crimson marks that soaked into the fabric.

"I was weary at first but I really enjoyed it," a voice chirped, pulling Cadmus to his feet. As he looked up, his blue eyes were met with those of Amaryllis'. Cadmus gave a slight blush, glancing back towards the girl's brother who had already vanished.

"I am glad, I admit, I had my concerns too-" he trailed off at the end as Amaryllis held out her hand towards him. Cadmus raised and eyebrow, causing the girl to give a defeated sigh.

"I want to dance with you-"

"But your brother-"

"He won't do anything, every official in that place will want to dance with the president's sister, it's only fair I get to choose one myself," she said with a large grin, forcefully grabbing Cadmus' hand and dragging him towards the dining room. Before he was pulled away from the balcony, Cadmus took one last look out into the night. The guilt of making the Arena twenty-three of those children would die in starting to plague his thoughts at the most silent of times. And every time these thoughts almost drove him to insanity, he would look over the designs for the arena, understanding he could not help them more than he had.

"I am sorry," he whispered as he turned away from the calm night and towards the dinner party. Thinking apologies the Warriors would never hear.


	19. Upper District Mentors

**THE FINAL MENTOR CHAPTER! Next is Training, day one. In one of the POV's, you get some hints to what that is. I hope this is okay, I am not very well tonight.**

 **Oh yes, as some of you might know, I have a new SYOT. Submissions are open until the 31st October and after that, I will be figuring out the plot line. So, it will not affect this story. But yes, if you want to submit, it is called Realism: 167th Hunger Games. The submission process is a bit different this time so my stories do not get taken down but if you would like to submit via PM, just let me know and I will send you a form :)**

 **I hope you submit to my next story and don't worry about the victor from this not being part of it, there is a 36th Hunger Games after this story. A resurrection Games. I just want to wait until after this story so people can submit characters from this.**

 **So yes, enjoy our final mentors and let me know what you think.**

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Roberto Sallie, Victor of the 6th Hunger Games**

At the base of the grain mill, adjacent from the water wheel was a small office. A lap of luxury for anyone who might own the mill. Although he had failed to notice the door up until this point, he knew it would be there. A place the owner of the mill could hide from the common folk. However, it was also a place most people would want to me. A warm fire and a door you could brocade yourself into. Although not there was only one other person aside from Roberto, it was the only place he could think his final kill could be waiting.

As he approached the room, he found the door slightly ajar, the bright, warm flames from the fireplace reflecting a dancing light in his brown eyes. Roberto flinched, stepping quickly to the side as he tried to hold his breath. He stayed still, his breaths small and silent as he listened for any sign of life. Fortunately, the only sound was the crackling of the burning logs and the low howl from the storm outside.

He stepped forward slightly, pressing his eyes against the crack near the hinges, not trusting the silence enough to look through the large gap. As his eyes darted across the room, he didn't take much notice of the dark furniture unless they were vaguely human-like. When his eyes made their way over to the fireplace, though, his breath hitched.

There, in the armchair that had been strategically placed in front of the fire for warmth, was a sleeping boy. His features were hard to make out but his brown hair was enough to alert Roberto to his identity. The boy from Five, his final hurdle.

The boy looked asleep but to make sure, Roberto tapped on the wooden door frame, knowing that if he was awake, the boy would make some sort of movement. He didn't move, he continued to lay there, silent, his arm dangling by his side, a fallen dagger by his feet.

 _He must have planned to ambush me but fallen asleep while waiting._ Roberto thought as he slowly made his way into the room, trying his best to avoid squeaky floorboards. The only sound was the soft squeak of his leather boots, not enough to wake the boy from his slumber.

As Roberto pulled his knife from his right boot, he stopped, thinking of the best way to go about killing the boy. It was not like it was hard, Roberto had killed many people during his time in the arena, even if it did feel wrong to kill someone while they were defenseless. What he truly was worried about was not doing it correctly. He needed to render the boy useless before he woke up, so he couldn't fight back. The next was the obvious option, even if it was risky.

As he started to move again, his eyes drifted over to the window, the snow falling thick and fast outside. A stark contrast to the warm interior, adorned with a warm, flickering, orange light. The room was cosy, only a small writing desk, a table, a cupboard near the window and the chair. Not a book case in sight. In fact, the only sort of personalization was the antlers that were chained to the wall. The room had a distinct scent of blood that mixed with the warm smell of burning wood. The dark haired boy thought nothing of it, this was an arena. He had no doubt that murder had taken place in the room, the blood soaking deep into the floorboards. Maybe it even came from the District Five male's clothes.

When Roberto came to the armchair, the boys legs just visible, he noticed a large wound on the boys leg. His pants leg was torn at the thigh, exposing a deep slash that showed off some of the bone. The blood that had seeped out was mostly congealed but it still seemed to have a sticky texture to it from inside the gash. What made Roberto's stomach turn the most was that no attempt had seemingly been made to tend to the problem. Not even a dusty old bandage or a torn piece of clothing. And more alarmingly, there seemed to be no blood trail leading to the armchair, not even a bloody rag. Not fitting with the time frame of the cut on his leg or of the final moments before a child passed out from blood loss.

Roberto didn't want to question it, though or maybe he just did not want to, as he made his way around the chair, ready to slit the boy's throat. However, as he maneuvered his way around to get the best angel of the jugular, Roberto felt his stomach turn. After all the deaths he had caused, all the throats he had slit during his time in the arena, nothing frightened him more than that. The boy from Three, his head barely hanging on as blood still trickled out of the deep slash to his throat. His eyes were stuck in a state of panic, most likely as he tried to keep in the blood that gushed from his neck.

Roberto stepped backwards, the creaking of the cupboard behind him causing him to turn around swiftly. There, from inside the darkness was the District Five male, covered in blood, a crazed smile on his face. He gave out a manic fit of laughter as he plunged the tip of his knife into Roberto's right eye, causing it to pop.

He ran for the door, stumbling as he went, like he had a few too many to drink. Roberto, meanwhile, tried to drag himself to his feet, screaming in pain as he did so, his tears only spilling from his left eye. He watched through his tears as the District Five male stopped, his smile dropping, his body sagging.

"I-I am sorry," he whispered, once again sounding like a small child, like he did before the arena. "They made me hurt you all," and with that, the boy continued to stumble down the dark hallway. A few moments later, the sound of a cannon shaking the arena but doing little to comfort a sobbing Robert. The screams of the District Five male dragging the knife across his own stomach ringing in his ears.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Amire Mellan, Victor of the 3rd Hunger Games.**

Amire Mellan stood on the other side of the glass window that looked into her niece's house. She watched as her redheaded family member dance around, holding her newborn daughter tightly in her arms. The child, a blonde haired girl with grey eyes, her lips slightly parted as she slept, brought a flutter to her great aunt's stomach. Yet, her mother's proud smile pierced envy into Amire's heart. It happened every time a baby was born into the family, the pain that it was not her own.

She knew by now that she was far too old to have a child. Fifty-years-old meant that she was no longer fertile, even with Capitol technology. Then again, she was made sterile long before her old age.

Her and the District Five Victor, Lujza, had a romance for many years, even when President Howlette barred their attempts to get married but no punishment was ever forced upon them. Until Amire got pregnant just before the twenty-sixth Hunger Games.

She knew there would be issues with it so her and Lujza tried to keep a secret for as long as possible. Sadly, the bi-monthly check ups on victor let her secret out. She hoped it would be something small, like they would barred them from mentoring or punish her after the child was born. She would never have thought they would force her to terminate her pregnancy, making her sterile in the process.

She had done her weeping over her lost child and although he would never show it, Lujza had done his share too. Both had the luxury of having children taken away just because someone high up decided it was not what they wanted. That was why Amire hated The Capitol.

They controlled people in cruel, unnecessary ways just to prove that they could. She did what she did to Amire to prove to the other victors that they had no say in their futures. The Capitol decided everything about them, who married who, who produced children.

A rebel by nature, Amire might have rebelled when she was younger but now in her old age, she was starting to not care. A rebellion was down to someone much younger than her, she was just happy that she still had Lujza to care for.

Her niece turned to the window and smiled, waving at her aunt but Amire just offered a small smile in reply. In The Capitol, it was customary to bring a new mother a balloon. Amire had even been given one by Pallas to give to the new mother. Amire, however, had brought a simple raw chicken. In District Ten, food for the new mother was far more important than any silly bit of plastic filled with helium.

MaybeAmire should have felt guilty about leaving Pallas and Belinda so close to The Games and being their only mentor. She had to be away though, they were her children she had raised the best she could. She couldn't bear to lose any more children to The Capitol.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Archie Moon, Victor of the 27th Hunger Games**

If Archie Moon was not looking at a boy that was most likely living through his final days, he might have laughed. Vulcan was dressed from head to toe in a shiny black suit that reflected the spotlights in the dimly lit hovercraft. Other than Vulcan's body shape and height, you had no clue it was him under the fabric. However, it seemed the boy could see his mentor and the world around him due to no accidents occurring since he put the suit on.

There were some things the black suit could not hide, such as rapid jiggle of his thigh as he tapped his foot against the metal floor repeatedly, sighing loudly as he did so. Archie could see he was nervous and he knew the situation was not easy. They had both come to associate the hovercraft with The Arena. Although it was a week away, that did not change the dread that filled both of them. The pure fear that death was closer than it truly was.

"Do you remember what we disgusted this morning, the strategies?" Archie asked Vulcan who in return hung his head low, letting out a defeated sigh.

"Does this really count towards anything?" Vulcan asked, his voice heavy and his gloss covered body, shaking.

"I think so, this is in place of the normal training sessions, it's not going to be all fun and games-"

"Is it ever is?" Vulcan muttered under his breath. Archie did not reply. Instead, deciding to listen to the small, mechanical beeps that were just audible above the roar of the engines and pressure release doors. The rumble resembled that of a submarine although, that would have been a more enjoyable place to be.

Although no one had died on the hovercraft, built just for the training sessions of the Warriors, it smelt of death. A cold, empty feeling looming throughout the cabin. Maybe it was a trick of his mind, the knowledge of where this craft would be taking Vulcan in a few weeks. Or maybe it was the thousands of children who would sit in the very same seat as them on the way to their death. However, in a morbid way, Archie was just happy it was not his cousin in Vulcan's place. Not that he would be mentoring her.

She came second place for the female Warrior, Clarissa beating her to the crown. Not that it was much of a victory. At least Archie knew she could not live her life instead of dying young.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Lujza Darejan, Victor of the 22nd Hunger Games.**

Lujza Darejan looked at both of his tributes, a wide smile on his face. In return, they offered him an annoyed look as they shivered against the cold night air. Even their hiking jackets could not keep them warm. Their pouting faces were lit up by the crackling campfire that burned a few feet away from them, filling the clearing with a warm glow.

"Are we camping?" Venus grunted, her breath freezing before her.

"You are camping, I am going to be inside-"

"That's hardly fair!" Berik protested, stomping his foot on the ground slightly.

Lujza let out a little chuckle as he tossed the pair a small, fresh, hot water bottle. "I'm an old man, this is not the type of place for me." Lujza had earned a reputation over the years for being the uncaring victor and after everything that had happened to him, did they really expect anything different? They took away his child, chance to be a father, normal life and marriage just so he could gain them more victors? He had learned that it was easier from the start to be cold than suffer any more loss.

"It's freezing out here, what will we gain from this?" Berik bellowed, clearing flustered but accepting the warmth of the bottle.

Lujza gestured towards the fire, tent and the supplies that littered the camp from small slices of bacon to kindle. "You have everything you need, I think I have been slightly generous if you ask me. I want to see if you can survive."

"You know we could just walk back to our rooms," Venus sighed, pointing towards the tribute building that overlooked the small clearing they were in. At the window was Grover and Ares, the pair pulling faces at the unfortunate tributes. Venus sighed, her eyes pulling away from the window. "We could just come back in the morning-"

"Vee, I have been mentoring for thirty-three years, I know when a camp has been slept in plus, what would walking away teach you?" Lujza asked, flinging his now empty backpack over his shoulder and turning towards the brightly lit city.

"No wonder you ain't a father, you would be shit with kids," Venus laughed, earning a chuckle from Berik. Lujza understood it was a lighthearted laughter but his heart sank. The lost child with Amire bringing on a crushing weight.

"Never want them, raising you brats just turned me off," Lujza laughed along with the two, refusing to turn around just in case they saw his tears. "Wrap up warm, eat and I shall see you in the morning!" he shouted back at the pair as he vanished into the night.


	20. Middle District Mentors

**Just wanted to mention for new readers that Atlas is the victor of my first story (24 to Life) and Lux is the victor of my second (Hell Island).**

 **Right, this will most likely be the last story I write at home for a long time. It is currently about 3 am Saturday morning here. I move into my dorm room tomorrow. Yay for adulthood. So I stayed up extra late to get this out there. Glad that I got the tribute introductions done before I moved.**

 **In this, we have TWO cannon victors. The morphling from District Six and Woof. Some things may have changed because it's not like I following the book timeline fully (hence why this is even a thing). But yeah, they are there. Gerhard is my character who has been part of my SYOT's since my first.**

 **Fun Fact! Noah (read Gerhard's POV, you will understand) was a character in Hell Island (my last story) so this storyline ties in with everything nicely.**

 **Enjoy and let me know what you think, I like this chapter :)**

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Lux Hymnoor, victor of the 25th Hunger Games**

Lux wondered if this is what being a single father was like, raising two Warriors by himself. Not that he was the only victor from District Five. His mentor Lujza won the Second Hunger Games but had been drafted in for mentoring District Twelve as they yet to have a victor. Not that Lux wanted his help anyway. Lujza had his moments but most of the time, he was an arrogant fool who could not accept that The Games had changed since he won. Proven by the large number of outer District victors who slowly dwindled when Careers started to compete. The victor won during a time of confusion where _every_ child was a frightened, untrained tribute.

Lux felt that, even without a helping hand, he had done well with his brood over the years. Not that his time as a victor had not been completely jarring. For your homophobic District to vote for you to die just because you are gay. Then to get hit over the head with a trident and knocked out and wake up ten minutes later to find the other tributes had blown themselves up and you were the victor, that's was stressful enough. But to then be taken away from the man you love for ten years and forced, at sixteen, to look after and mentor a seven and six years old for the same amount of time. That was just the fruit on the cake.

It was not all bad, though. Being in The Capitol meant that when Brites, his fiance, visited every six months, he could treat his love like the king he was. The six-month was reserved for the family but Lux did not have any. Not as far as he was concerned anyway. They disowned him after his victory because, surprisingly, being in a death game did not make him straight. He did not care though because after these Games were over, he and Brites could start their own family and hopefully, they would have a new victor in the village aside from grumpy old Lujza.

Lux was not sure who had the best chance of coming back, they were both strong in their own right. Nathalie was cunning and a good with plants. Damon was strategic and good at anything to do with survival. Overall, the pair were as ready as they would ever be and there was nothing that Lux could teach them anymore. Not that there was anyway.

There was not much a boy who won by luck and only killed one person could teach two trained killers. And even if there was, they already knew it. The Capital underestimated how good their training was, drafting in the Mentors. The mentors that the Warriors quickly outgrew in knowledge. Their job description was to help the victor settle in at home, learn the etiquette of a victor and to make sure they were not making any mistakes. Lux could see how they would come in handy but he knew, it was just The Capitol covering their backs.

The one thing Lux could do was listen. The thing that doomed tributes were mental issues and suppressed emotions. He did not get much out of Nathalie other than she hated not being in control and craved stability in her life over the looming threat of death. He was not sure how to help her with that but he was trying his best. Damon, on the other hand, was far easier to help. The boy was bisexual but his attraction leaned more towards men. And a few days ago, he finally admitted he was dating Vulcan from District Eleven. The issue was, he knew he would lose Vulcan in the Games and was frightened to say anything about their relationship. Lux's advice for the boy was to not hide from who he was but keep his relationship with Vulcan a secret until after the Games. That way the two could enjoy their final days together without having camera's pushed in their face. Damon was also worried about losing Evelyn but Lux could not help him with that. Being from a normal Game, Lux never developed such deep relationships with his fellow tributes so he could not say anything more than "what will be will be," a phrase his father always used to say that angered him as a child. Even after all his father had done to him, Lux was becoming him.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Hix May, Victor of the 23rd Hunger Games**

Hix had been working on her camouflage from the second she saw the dark clouds move in and now, just as the rain started to fall, she was applying the last leaf to her hair. When a crackle of thunder shook the arena, the seventeen-year-old dived into a thick bush that grew at the entrance of the cave. It did not allow much when it came to warmth but it was far enough in that the rain could not get to her. With a defeated sigh, masked by the growling sky, Hix took a shattered cracker out of her pocket and started to eat it slowly. Nibbling a bit at a time and trying to savor the taste, hoping it would calm her hunger. She was lucky to have found the crackers in the first place, scavenged off a dead tribute but now she only had a few left, she had to make them last. It's not like anyone was going to send her anything.

The night before, the twenty-second canon sounded, meaning Hix was currently in the final two. She made no attempt to kill the final tribute and only moved from her hiding place when the rain clouds rolled in. Camouflage was not much good if it was washed away. For the two hours the girl had been working on her stealth, she had been anxious about the final tribute finding her but now she had her food and was hidden in the depths of the bush, she felt safe from whatever horrors waited for her outside. It was unlikely the tribute would continue to look for her during the storm.

She was right about the storm putting the final tribute off but when a figure walked into view, lit up by a lightning strike, Hix cursed herself for not thinking of that flaw in her plan. There were many caves on the island, Hix choosing the largest one, thinking it's depths would put people off. However, what she also did not take into account was the fact that the Gamemakers would not have started such a violent storm if the other tribute was not close. They wanted to draw them together and Hix played right into their plan. Now there were together, it was unlikely the storm would stop until one of them was dead.

The tribute held a flashlight that he darted around the cave, looking for any signs that he was not alone, missing the bush at the entrance. He walked as he looked, even making sure he checked the ceiling. The figured stopped when he came to Hix's camouflage supplies, the different shades of mud mixed together on a slab of stone. His breath hitched as he shone towards the large dip in the cave. "Come out!" he shouted, waiting a few seconds for an answer. "We have to fight at some point, might as well get it over with!" once again, there was no answer. The boy's voice was shaky and with another lightning strike, the boy jumped into the air, shivering.

Over the next hour, the boy started a fire, revealing himself to be the boy from District Three, Gizmo. His curly brown hair had only been kept dry because of his raincoat but he still shivered from the dropping temperature. Hix thought he was stupid for starting such a beacon to his location but then she realized his words to her. He wanted to fight, he just wanted to go home. As the boy munched on a cooked rabbits leg, Hix started to feel sick but if that was hunger or the knowledge that one of them had to die, she was not sure.

He seemed like a nice boy, all through training and even now, yet Hix admired his bravery, even if he was only fourteen. His bravery to call her out for a fight was something she could never do. Part of her wanted him to win. When a small parachute floated down, a large three carved on the side, she even felt happy for him.

The boy pulled it in, unlocking it and opening it up in front of him. Inside was a silver dagger, nothing too fancy but mesmerizing nonetheless. It also came with a note that, with a smile, the boy looked at. However, his smile dropped by the end, he was looking over his shoulder, once again shining his flashlight at everything in the cave.

Hix stayed still as the flashlight drew closer to her, begging for her camouflage, she scored so highly for, to not fail her. Sadly, there was one thing Hix forgot that night, the same thing that doomed Gizmo. She forgot to close her eyes, her big, blue eyes. When the flashlight stopped on her, she tried to keep her eyes open for as long as she could, hoping he might just think they were flowers. But after a few seconds of the intense light, her eyelids shut.

Gizmo leaped to his feet, drawing his blade and slowly maneuvering towards the bush. Hix opened her eyes again but stayed still, hoping it was a mistake or she could frighten him enough to leave but the boy just came closer.

"I can do this, I-i'm brave," he muttered to himself as he drew closer, Hix staying as still as she possibly could. She stayed still, her body poised until the boy ran at her, falling into the bush as she jumped to the side. As quick as the lightning that flashed outside, Hix grabbed the knife that clattered to the floor. As the boy scrambled to his feet, his frightened eyes fell on the dagger.

"T-that's mine," he whispered. "Please give it back," Hix replied with a silent shake as she backed away towards the fire, hoping to hold him off long enough that she could flee deeper into the cave. "Give it back!" the boy bellowed once more but this time, he leaped at Hix, the girl screaming as she jabbed the knife at him in defense and pulled it away. As she fell to the floor, dragged by the force of her knife, she looked over her shoulder at the boy.

He lay on the ground, clawing at his wound, his breath shaky as he tried his best to breathe. However, the thick blood that he coughed up prevented this. His neck was sliced open, blood spewing out onto the cave floor.

Hix watched in horror as he struggled for air, his body twisted on the ground from the intense pain he felt until, he fell still. Through tears, Hix watched, hoping to see some sign of life from the boy but a few seconds later, his canon sounded.

She must have been announced as victor but Hix could not remember it. The constant drum of thunder was the only soundtrack that played when she found Gizmo's sponsor note.

 _Look around until you see, in the cave she will be- Sebastienne_

After that, she does not remember much either. She was not even sure what she did with the note. The final thing she remembers was the darkness as a gust of wind blew out the fire. The terrifyingly loudlightshow briefly lighting up the cave to remind her of what she had done.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Gerhard Liboria, Victor of the 22nd Hunger Games**

For six in the morning, the shopping centre was surprisingly busy. Gerhard watched as people rushed to and fro, chattering loudly over the tranquil music that played throughout the building. With a loud, mechanical bing, the doors to the glass elevator opened, a brightly dressed family stepping out. The parents argued amongst each other as they pushed through the crowd, trying to figure out what bag they had placed their wallet into. Behind them trailed the children, a boy in his late teens with sky blue hair and green eyes, towering above his parents. Running circles around him was his younger sister. Her dyed blonde hair tightly curled and her grass green dress made her look like a princess. She was only in her early teens but she acted like an excited child as she giggled at her brothers angered face.

"Poria, stop it!" he whined, crossing his arms and storming off after his parents, his giggling sister skipping behind him. Gerhard watched them walk away, a faint smile on his lips, memories of his own childhood with his little sister flooding back. Maria Liboria, the most beautiful girl in District Seven with her flowing, blonde locks and happy green eyes. Every guy in Seven pined for her but to Gerhard, she was just his baby sister. The memories they shared were happy until he came to that final, dark memory at the back of his mind.

His smile dropped as the family vanished into the shop, his green eyes flickering back to the large mocha. His hands were clasped around it, taking in the heat as he watched the steam rise from the top and float away from him. Maria had passed away ten years ago, not long after Lux's victory in the twenty-fifth Games.

The same year, Maria broke up with her longterm boyfriend, Noah Prones, a religious boy who was as sweet as anything. The break up came with a shock as the two always seemed close but rumours spread that it was because Maria cheated on him. Gerhard could never believe his sister would do such a foul thing, though. When he questioned her about it, she broke down into tears, telling a terrifyingly vivid account of how Noah had raped her. Gerhard believed it, why wouldn't he?

Refusing to have his sister knocked down to a shell of her former self by, what he assumed at the time, by monster, Gerhard started to campaign. The first Quarter Quell allowed the District to vote for their tribute so he told them to vote for Noah. As expected, the District followed their only victors advice and Noah was chosen as tribute.

Through his time in the arena and The Capitol, Gerhard offered little help to the boy and when he died, although feeling slightly guilty, he was happy to know his sister was safe. That was, until the letter came through.

Maria wrote a heartfelt note to her brother, begging for him to forgive her for lying. Forgive her for lying about the rape and getting Noah killed despite being innocent. Maybe after reading the confession, there was more Gerhard could have done for her but he thought speaking his lack of anger towards her in person was better than a call or a note.

When Gerhard arrived home, he arrived home to his broken parents, Maria's open coffin in the front room of his mansion. They had place makeup on her face to make her seem alive but she could never be given how still she was. She hung herself two days after Gerhard received the note.

After her death, Gerhard felt empty and pathetic. He stopped caring for his tributes. Fearing that if he could not save his own sister from death, could he save anyone?. However, that was until one defined the odds and came back, filling up the void that had been empty for years.

"They did not have a milkshake so guess who got a hot chocolate," Laurel said with lack of enthusiasm. Gerhard looked at the tall mug she place on the table, two inches of whipped cream at the top including sprinkles and cherries.

"I think it looks nice," Gerhard offered, taking a sip of his own drink.

"Hm, could be worse I guess," Laurel said with a soft smile. "Did Grover come to his mentoring session today?" she asked as she took as seat, steering her hot chocolate with a light blue spoon.

Gerhard scoffed. "No, like always." Laurel looked sad, like how a parent looks when they are told their child threw up over the teacher.

"I'm sorry, I will have a talk with him tonight-"

"Are you sure you don't just want to swap?" Gerhard asked, cocking his head to the side.

"No, Balina only wants to be mentored by me," Laurel laughed apologetically, knowing she was just making the situation harder.

"Huh...am I really that bad?" Gerhard asked, a worried look on his face.

"I personally think you are sweet but they don't spend as much time with you as I do, I have lived with you for five years," Laurel giggled, bringing a smile to the man's face.

"It is going to be strange for you when we get home, you have never lived at the victor's village or in a different house to me."

"Nah, I will still be living with you, we can be bunk buddies," Laurel laughed, tapping her spoon on the side of the glass and placing it on a napkin beside her. Gerhard knew she was joking, to her, they were nothing more than friends. That just made his feelings towards her feel worse.

He loved everything about the girl, from her natural beauty to her contagious smile. Most people saw her job at the strip club as shifty but Gerhard viewed it differently. Maybe that is why he was the person she always invited to see her shows. Her voice was so stunning that his eyes never even focused on the stripping females either side of her.

Maybe it was also his desire to have a family that drew him to her. She was much more than breeding cattle but she was the only other victor, the only person who understood him, that wanted children. No other woman had interested him like she had. But sadly, she was with Grover.

She told him about a year ago when Gerhard asked her out on a date. Thanking him for the offer but explaining she was already dating the boy before begging him not to tell anyone. He kept his promise, no matter how much it hurt him. Even though he could not have her, he wanted to keep her happiness.

Sometimes, when she fell asleep on the roof while they had some drinks under the stars, she would talk about him. How he promised her a ring and children once he had won, how she wished it was public so she did not have to hide it anymore. However, as Gerhard watched her speak, her sleepy, blue eyes reflecting the stars, part of him hoped that Grover would never come back.

* * *

 **District 8**

 **Woof Casino, Victor of the 17th Hunger Games**

Woof was all alone, the only victor from District Eight. Not that the middle aged man cared for the loud noise a second mentor would bring. He did fine by himself, a devoted mentor in the day and a quiet reader at night. Yes, there was nothing he loved more than arriving at the libary after a hard day of mentoring, sitting down with his book and letting all his stress go.

By the window, in a worn out leather arm chair was where he enjoyed to sit, against the dark sky outside. The crackling of the fire in his ear, a small glass of whisky on the oak table in front of him and his latest read in his hand. There was just something about the laid back nature of the library that allowed him to be taken away by the books, transported to faraway lands. Go on adventures he could only dream about. To Woof, books where the only way to escape the twisted world of Panem. They might have been able to control his physical form but not his imagination.

Tonight was a particularly stormy night, the sound of the raindrops and grumble of distant thunder only making Woof more comfortable in his seat. He was not alone tonight either. Aside from the book keeper, a small hermit looking man with elf like ears, was Ares, his Warrior.

The boy would glide along the upper part of the library in the plant section until he found a book that sparked his interest. The boy would then shimmy down the rickety old ladder and take a seat at the table near Woof. The sound of him flickering through the pages and the scribbling of the pen on the ruff paper being music to his ears.

It had been like this for a few nights now, Ares joining Woof on his evening trips to the library. The victor did not mind as the boy kept to himself, his childish nature able to accept the beauty of the room he was in. The library was built to resemble that of a period long before the dark days. With creaky old, wooden furniture, leather chairs, crumbly old books and a large, stone fireplace. When he was young, Woof would come to the library and hide out, his nightmare's soothed by the warm feeling the place gave off. A safe feeling.

However, tonight, Woof could tell something was off about Ares. He seemed distracted, looking over his shoulder and studying less than normal. When the boy finally spoke, Woof was slightly relieved.

"I don't know what to do about Snow, I really don't like him," he whispered, placing his quill back in it's holder. Woof looked over his wire framed glasses at him, assessing his worried expression.

"You don't need to like a president to be a victor-"

"But he is horrible, he has no right to be in power-" Ares stopped when the bookkeeper loudly placed a book in it's correct place, glaring at Ares for his raised voice. "I just wish someone would do something about him," he sighed, the bookkeepers footsteps echoing as he moved away.

"Someone will, in time...these things do not happen overnight. Water has to boil but if you wait, there will be a spark and things will change for the better," Woof said softly, tenderly closing his book, his thumb keeping his page as he picked up his whisky and took a mouthful.

Ares thought about his words, nodding to himself. "But what will we do until then?" he asked.

Woof didn't look back at him, opening his books. "We wait-"

"I don't have the luxury of time," Ares sighed with pain, looking down at his black, canvas shoes.

Woof smirked, weather it be from a funny line or the boys defeatedness. "Boy, then make sure you do," he said softly, licking his finger and turning the page of his book. Ares gave an understanding nod and stumbled back to his seat. It seemed like useless advice but that was all Woof could give. He only won after a mistake caused the Arena to collapse, killing everyone but him.

Woof could only give his tributes overused cliches. That's Why he made them learn from books, a far more reliable source of information.


	21. Lower District Mentors

**THE FINAL MENTOR CHAPTER! Next is Training, day one. In one of the POV's, you get some hints to what that is. I hope this is okay, I am not very well tonight.**

 **Oh yes, as some of you might now, I have a new SYOT. Submissions are open until the 31st October and after that, I will be figuring out the plot line. So, it will not affect this story. But yes, if you want to submit, it is called Realism: 167th Hunger Games. The submission process is a bit different this time so my stories do not get taken down but if you would like to submit via PM, just let me know and I will send you a form :)**

 **I hope you submit to my next story and don't worry about the victor from this not being part of it, there is a 36th Hunger Games after this story. A resurrection Games. I just want to wait until after this story so people can submit characters from this.**

 **So yes, enjoy our final mentors and let me know what you think.**

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Roberto Sallie, Victor of the 6th Hunger Games**

At the base of the grain mill, adjacent from the water wheel was a small office. A lap of luxury for anyone who might own the mill. Although he had failed to notice the door up until this point, he knew it would be there. A place the owner of the mill could hide from the common folk. However, it was also a place most people would want to me. A warm fire and a door you could brocade yourself into. Although not there was only one other person aside from Roberto, it was the only place he could think his final kill could be waiting.

As he approached the room, he found the door slightly ajar, the bright, warm flames from the fireplace reflecting a dancing light in his brown eyes. Roberto flinched, stepping quickly to the side as he tried to hold his breath. He stayed still, his breaths small and silent as he listened for any sign of life. Fortunately, the only sound was the crackling of the burning logs and the low howl from the storm outside.

He stepped forward slightly, pressing his eyes against the crack near the hinges, not trusting the silence enough to look through the large gap. As his eyes darted across the room, he didn't take much notice of the dark furniture unless they were vaguely human-like. When his eyes made their way over to the fireplace, though, his breath hitched.

There, in the armchair that had been strategically placed in front of the fire for warmth, was a sleeping boy. His features were hard to make out but his brown hair was enough to alert Roberto to his identity. The boy from Five, his final hurdle.

The boy looked asleep but to make sure, Roberto tapped on the wooden door frame, knowing that if he was awake, the boy would make some sort of movement. He didn't move, he continued to lay there, silent, his arm dangling by his side, a fallen dagger by his feet.

 _He must have planned to ambush me but fallen asleep while waiting._ Roberto thought as he slowly made his way into the room, trying his best to avoid squeaky floorboards. The only sound was the soft squeak of his leather boots, not enough to wake the boy from his slumber.

As Roberto pulled his knife from his right boot, he stopped, thinking of the best way to go about killing the boy. It was not like it was hard, Roberto had killed many people during his time in the arena, even if it did feel wrong to kill someone while they were defenseless. What he truly was worried about was not doing it correctly. He needed to render the boy useless before he woke up, so he couldn't fight back. The next was the obvious option, even if it was risky.

As he started to move again, his eyes drifted over to the window, the snow falling thick and fast outside. A stark contrast to the warm interior, adorned with a warm, flickering, orange light. The room was cosy, only a small writing desk, a table, a cupboard near the window and the chair. Not a book case in sight. In fact, the only sort of personalization was the antlers that were chained to the wall. The room had a distinct scent of blood that mixed with the warm smell of burning wood. The dark haired boy thought nothing of it, this was an arena. He had no doubt that murder had taken place in the room, the blood soaking deep into the floorboards. Maybe it even came from the District Five male's clothes.

When Roberto came to the armchair, the boys legs just visible, he noticed a large wound on the boys leg. His pants leg was torn at the thigh, exposing a deep slash that showed off some of the bone. The blood that had seeped out was mostly congealed but it still seemed to have a sticky texture to it from inside the gash. What made Roberto's stomach turn the most was that no attempt had seemingly been made to tend to the problem. Not even a dusty old bandage or a torn piece of clothing. And more alarmingly, there seemed to be no blood trail leading to the armchair, not even a bloody rag. Not fitting with the time frame of the cut on his leg or of the final moments before a child passed out from blood loss.

Roberto didn't want to question it, though or maybe he just did not want to, as he made his way around the chair, ready to slit the boy's throat. However, as he maneuvered his way around to get the best angel of the jugular, Roberto felt his stomach turn. After all the deaths he had caused, all the throats he had slit during his time in the arena, nothing frightened him more than that. The boy from Three, his head barely hanging on as blood still trickled out of the deep slash to his throat. His eyes were stuck in a state of panic, most likely as he tried to keep in the blood that gushed from his neck.

Roberto stepped backwards, the creaking of the cupboard behind him causing him to turn around swiftly. There, from inside the darkness was the District Five male, covered in blood, a crazed smile on his face. He gave out a manic fit of laughter as he plunged the tip of his knife into Roberto's right eye, causing it to pop.

He ran for the door, stumbling as he went, like he had a few too many to drink. Roberto, meanwhile, tried to drag himself to his feet, screaming in pain as he did so, his tears only spilling from his left eye. He watched through his tears as the District Five male stopped, his smile dropping, his body sagging.

"I-I am sorry," he whispered, once again sounding like a small child, like he did before the arena. "They made me hurt you all," and with that, the boy continued to stumble down the dark hallway. A few moments later, the sound of a cannon shaking the arena but doing little to comfort a sobbing Robert. The screams of the District Five male dragging the knife across his own stomach ringing in his ears.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Amire Mellan, Victor of the 3rd Hunger Games.**

Amire Mellan stood on the other side of the glass window that looked into her niece's house. She watched as her redheaded family member dance around, holding her newborn daughter tightly in her arms. The child, a blonde haired girl with grey eyes, her lips slightly parted as she slept, brought a flutter to her great aunt's stomach. Yet, her mother's proud smile pierced envy into Amire's heart. It happened every time a baby was born into the family, the pain that it was not her own.

She knew by now that she was far too old to have a child. Fifty-years-old meant that she was no longer fertile, even with Capitol technology. Then again, she was made sterile long before her old age.

Her and the District Five Victor, Lujza, had a romance for many years, even when President Howlette barred their attempts to get married but no punishment was ever forced upon them. Until Amire got pregnant just before the twenty-sixth Hunger Games.

She knew there would be issues with it so her and Lujza tried to keep a secret for as long as possible. Sadly, the bi-monthly check ups on victor let her secret out. She hoped it would be something small, like they would barred them from mentoring or punish her after the child was born. She would never have thought they would force her to terminate her pregnancy, making her sterile in the process.

She had done her weeping over her lost child and although he would never show it, Lujza had done his share too. Both had the luxury of having children taken away just because someone high up decided it was not what they wanted. That was why Amire hated The Capitol.

They controlled people in cruel, unnecessary ways just to prove that they could. She did what she did to Amire to prove to the other victors that they had no say in their futures. The Capitol decided everything about them, who married who, who produced children.

A rebel by nature, Amire might have rebelled when she was younger but now in her old age, she was starting to not care. A rebellion was down to someone much younger than her, she was just happy that she still had Lujza to care for.

Her niece turned to the window and smiled, waving at her aunt but Amire just offered a small smile in reply. In The Capitol, it was customary to bring a new mother a balloon. Amire had even been given one by Pallas to give to the new mother. Amire, however, had brought a simple raw chicken. In District Ten, food for the new mother was far more important than any silly bit of plastic filled with helium.

MaybeAmire should have felt guilty about leaving Pallas and Belinda so close to The Games and being their only mentor. She had to be away though, they were her children she had raised the best she could. She couldn't bear to lose any more children to The Capitol.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Archie Moon, Victor of the 27th Hunger Games**

If Archie Moon was not looking at a boy that was most likely living through his final days, he might have laughed. Vulcan was dressed from head to toe in a shiny black suit that reflected the spotlights in the dimly lit hovercraft. Other than Vulcan's body shape and height, you had no clue it was him under the fabric. However, it seemed the boy could see his mentor and the world around him due to no accidents occurring since he put the suit on.

There were some things the black suit could not hide, such as rapid jiggle of his thigh as he tapped his foot against the metal floor repeatedly, sighing loudly as he did so. Archie could see he was nervous and he knew the situation was not easy. They had both come to associate the hovercraft with The Arena. Although it was a week away, that did not change the dread that filled both of them. The pure fear that death was closer than it truly was.

"Do you remember what we disgusted this morning, the strategies?" Archie asked Vulcan who in return hung his head low, letting out a defeated sigh.

"Does this really count towards anything?" Vulcan asked, his voice heavy and his gloss covered body, shaking.

"I think so, this is in place of the normal training sessions, it's not going to be all fun and games-"

"Is it ever is?" Vulcan muttered under his breath. Archie did not reply. Instead, deciding to listen to the small, mechanical beeps that were just audible above the roar of the engines and pressure release doors. The rumble resembled that of a submarine although, that would have been a more enjoyable place to be.

Although no one had died on the hovercraft, built just for the training sessions of the Warriors, it smelt of death. A cold, empty feeling looming throughout the cabin. Maybe it was a trick of his mind, the knowledge of where this craft would be taking Vulcan in a few weeks. Or maybe it was the thousands of children who would sit in the very same seat as them on the way to their death. However, in a morbid way, Archie was just happy it was not his cousin in Vulcan's place. Not that he would be mentoring her.

She came second place for the female Warrior, Clarissa beating her to the crown. Not that it was much of a victory. At least Archie knew she could not live her life instead of dying young.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Lujza Darejan, Victor of the 22nd Hunger Games.**

Lujza Darejan looked at both of his tributes, a wide smile on his face. In return, they offered him an annoyed look as they shivered against the cold night air. Even their hiking jackets could not keep them warm. Their pouting faces were lit up by the crackling campfire that burned a few feet away from them, filling the clearing with a warm glow.

"Are we camping?" Venus grunted, her breath freezing before her.

"You are camping, I am going to be inside-"

"That's hardly fair!" Berik protested, stomping his foot on the ground slightly.

Lujza let out a little chuckle as he tossed the pair a small, fresh, hot water bottle. "I'm an old man, this is not the type of place for me." Lujza had earned a reputation over the years for being the uncaring victor and after everything that had happened to him, did they really expect anything different? They took away his child, chance to be a father, normal life and marriage just so he could gain them more victors? He had learned that it was easier from the start to be cold than suffer any more loss.

"It's freezing out here, what will we gain from this?" Berik bellowed, clearing flustered but accepting the warmth of the bottle.

Lujza gestured towards the fire, tent and the supplies that littered the camp from small slices of bacon to kindle. "You have everything you need, I think I have been slightly generous if you ask me. I want to see if you can survive."

"You know we could just walk back to our rooms," Venus sighed, pointing towards the tribute building that overlooked the small clearing they were in. At the window was Grover and Ares, the pair pulling faces at the unfortunate tributes. Venus sighed, her eyes pulling away from the window. "We could just come back in the morning-"

"Vee, I have been mentoring for thirty-three years, I know when a camp has been slept in plus, what would walking away teach you?" Lujza asked, flinging his now empty backpack over his shoulder and turning towards the brightly lit city.

"No wonder you ain't a father, you would be shit with kids," Venus laughed, earning a chuckle from Berik. Lujza understood it was a lighthearted laughter but his heart sank. The lost child with Amire bringing on a crushing weight.

"Never want them, raising you brats just turned me off," Lujza laughed along with the two, refusing to turn around just in case they saw his tears. "Wrap up warm, eat and I shall see you in the morning!" he shouted back at the pair as he vanished into the night.


	22. The Lesson Today Is How To Die

**Training chapter! I have had this idea since I started this story and I am excited to finally be here. I promised it would be something different and I hope it is something new or you at least have not seen it a lot. I personally think it is more interesting than the average training chapter.**

 **Thank you for 100 reviews, it makes me really happy to see your thoughts on the chapters. I love reading them.**

 **Also, shameless plug, I am still looking for tributes for my new SYOT. I currently only have nine so let your creative juices flow and be sure to send me one in!**

 **Oh, yep. POV's in here, aside from two, were chosen at random by my flatmates. I asked for a number between 1 and 12 and either male or female. I took what they gave me so sorry if your tribute did not get a POV this time, I can assure you they will at least have one before training is over.**

 **Anyway, back to the real reason you are here, training chapter, enjoy.**

* * *

 **Grover Lindell, District 7 Male In The 25th Hunger Games**

Grover dug his nails into the side of Hovercraft as it shook to a stop, the sound of the dying engines allowing his heart rate to slow. He looked over to his mentor, Gerhard who looked rather amused by the whole ordeal. Grover just scowled, finding his mentor stifled laughter grating on his patience. It was fine for Gerhard, he had ridden in the craft before. To Grover, the new flying technology was terrifying.

The dark haired boy quickly undid his seat belts when the in-flight lighting turned off, hunching over as he tried his best not to dry heave. "Will I get to see Laurel before training?" Grover asked, his blue eyes tightly closed as he panted the words.

Gerhard shrugged. "Possibly but not alone, all the camera's in Panem will be waiting for you," he said, a childish grin on his face. Grover grunted as he tried to stand up but his shaky knees caused him to topple back into his chair. "If you wanted extra training, you should not have requested her, you know the female mentors can only mentor girls." Grover didn't answer, for once, his body too focused on itself rather than starting an argument with the bearded man.

The door that was at the base of the hovercraft opened with a slow, mechanical creek. The light that spilled in from the outside world causing Grover to shield his already sealed eyes. Gerhard, on the other hand, rose to his feet, a big cheesy grin as he held out his hand to the old man that walked up the ramp. His heeled shoes clanking against the metal.

"Ah, Mr. Liboria and Mr. Lindell, I am Mr. Drinkle...how was your journey?" The old, blue-haired man asked, one of the Peacekeepers from behind passing him a small clipboard.

"Nice to meet you, Sir," Gerhard said politely, taking the man's free hand and shaking it tightly. "My journey went very smoothly, thank you but I can not say the same for my tribute-" Gerhard was interrupted by Grover throwing up, his stomach contents splattering onto the paneled floor.

"I see, we have this problem with a lot of tributes...I promise we shall have it sorted by the time The Games come around," Drinkle sighed, scribbling down the details. "For now, this shall help with the boy's travel sickness." The shortest Peacekeeper stepped forward upon Drinkle's command, offering Grover a small blue pill. Grover gratefully took it, slightly agitated he had shown weakness.

"Thank you but is there also anyway the boy's food could be replenished?" Gerhard asked, rather boldly. "He starts at a major disadvantage otherwise."

Drinkle sighed, turning to a Peacekeeper who gave a nod and hurried off. "I think we might have something for the child."

* * *

 **Ares Walker, District 8 Male of the 35th Hunger Games**

Ares smiled silently to himself as he looked at the world around him. He stood on the edge of a small wooded area, in a grain field to be exact. He could hear the sound of a stream being faintly carried on the small breeze. The only other sound that came naturally to the environment was the sound of a falcon flying overhead looking for its prey.

All around him, Warriors had personal interviews with the cameras that swarmed the place, a lot of them tugging at the ugly, skin-tight body suit they all wore. Ares was just thankful they were allowed to take the helmets off. He could see out of it like a pair of tinted glasses but to anyone else, he resembled that a gimp. Not a look Ares was happy about.

If anything at least, Ares was happy he could have his final training sessions in a place as beautiful as the woods before him. It was dark as he could already feel the cooler air hitting his face but the sound of the birds during the morning chorus made up for every wrong. He was so excited in fact that he could not help but rock back on forth on his feet like a little kid.

His attention was drawn to the right, along with everyone else when something burst through the thick undergrowth and towards the tree line. Vulcan looked like he was about to burst when the doe stopped and looked at him. The doe was smaller than normal, her nose twitching as she smelt the new scents the Warriors had arrived with. She stayed still for a few more seconds until one of the cameramen moved, fighting the deer back into the depths of the woods. Once she was gone, Warriors, news crew and mentors alike talked happily about the creature that lived in the woods.

"It's just a deer," Grover grumbled from next to Ares, a half-eaten apple in his hands.

"Did you throw up? I got one of the those too," Ares said with excitement, his eyes sparkling. Grover just glared as he took an angry bite out of the apple.

"Why don't you just shut up, eh?" Grover spat at his friend through a mouthful of food.

"Ah, don't be like that, its new technology, it will be fixed," Ares laughed cheerfully but Grover just grunted in response.

* * *

 **Ryken Veux, Master of Ceremonies**

"You look amazing!" a yellow-haired woman cheered as she ran after Ryken holding a steaming cup of tea. Ryken just smirked, mentally stroking his ego.

"I always do, one of the many joys of being me," he sighed, straightening out his tie. The woman blushed offering the handsome man the tea she had brought him. Ryken took it with a bright smile. "Are you my new assistant?" Ryken asked. The girl gave a quick nod, her face blushing until she looked like a red balloon. Ryken opened his mouth to speak when a voice called from behind them both.

"No she isn't," a monotone voice said to the young man. He swiveled on his heel until his brown eyes were staring into those of a blonde haired woman. "I think you will find she is some nutty fangirl...here is my ID as proof." The girl handed over a small white card with her photo on it, the name Veista Meroia and her job rolled filled in as the Personal assistant of Ryken Veux.

"Security!" Ryken shouted, rolling his eyes as he did so. As the well-built men rushed in, dragging the young, yellow-haired girl away, she screamed her love for Ryken, begging him to sleep with her. Ryken brushed it off and turned back to Veista, pulling a disgusted face as he held his drink out towards her. "I don't think I really want to drink that anymore."

"I would not advise it," Veista sighed, taking the drink and passing it to a nearby Avox.

"You know, no matter how many times I let the press know I am asexual I swear the more girls want to change me...you can't change someone's sexuality. You get me?" Ryken asked as they walked towards his place, four cameras placed around the spot.

Veista shook her head. "Not really, I have never met anyone that didn't accept me...but I agree, I can't imagine how you would feel." Ryken gave a small sigh as he hung his head low.

"Are you straight then?" He asked the woman, his eyebrows raised. Veista gave a nod a look of suspicion as to where the man was going with his statement. "Ah, then I have to warn you, just because you work with me does not mean we will be getting married or anything, not even a peck on the cheek. You are my servant, you do as I say," Ryken said with arrogance, running his hand through his dark hair.

Veista frowned. "You don't have to worry about that sir-"

"Why?" Ryken asked, clearly expecting a different answer from the girl.

"Well, you are just not my type-"

"You can't mean that!" Ryken scoffed.

"Hm, it's true, you're just not my type of guy." Ryken looked deflated which was surprising coming from a guy as arrogant as he. It was clearly a lie, anyone who said Ryken Veux was not their type was lying. He was so handsome that Capitol beauticians would not touch him in fear of ruining his look. Due to this, he looked more like he came from the District's rather than The Capitol. With his short brown hair, chocolate brown, almond-shaped eyes, tanned skin and chiseled jaw. However, the man looked hurt, like he had never been told he was not someone's type before.

Veista cocked her head to the side, a playful pout playing on her lips. "I thought you didn't want me to find you attractive?" She asked.

Ryken rolled his shoulders back, letting out a sigh. "I guess so-"

"Great now, get in position and smile." She pushed him towards the mark on the floor, allowing him time to straighten himself out before they turned on the cameras. Lucky for Ryken, years of working in the News industry had earned him a fast reaction time and the ability to act on cue.

The second he saw the little red light that signaled that he was live, a charming smile flashed onto his face, exposing his bright white teeth. "Good Morning Panem, welcome to all that got up early to see the first and last...Warrior training session." Ryken paused after speaking, most likely to allow the cheering that would be happening back home. "Now, I am about to explain the rules and what will be happening over the next few days to you, and the warriors for the first time."

Ryken turned around to face the group of children, their helmets now on but a small number painted on their chest in either gold or silver to show who was who. "In a few minutes, you will all be set off into the woods. Around the woods are twenty-four backpacks, each with your number, a silver number for girls and gold for boys. Inside will be one bread loaf, a bottle of water and your preferred weapon. The weapon you receive with your pack you will use on your fellow Warriors, killing each other until only one of you remains." The Warriors fell silent, the mentors looked in shock. The man himself would have been confused if he did not know the script.

"However, none of you will die today. The suits you wear are not just a terrible fashion choice, they are the latest in Capitol defense. These suits will be able to take any blow, slash or stab without harming the person inside by absorbing kinetic energy. That is all I can tell you, for now, I am afraid as it is top secret. This does mean that no poisons shall be used, only weapons. Your suits also have little sensors, paralyzing the body part once those sensors are damaged. So a knife to the arm will not kill you, just render your arm useless. Your training scores will be based on your performance over the next few hours, maybe even days so perform to the best of your ability. In a moment, your mentor's will place you around the entrance to the woods and after a countdown of sixty seconds, you will be allowed to run. However, no killing may take place for a further sixty seconds. Any attacker will be instantly eliminated if this rule is violated."

Anyone who was not a Warrior or Mentor cheered at this, the two groups instead decided to sit in silence, looking at the by the technology The Capitol could create in such short noticed yet terrified at the twisted Game. If they could do that, why did anyone still have to die?

* * *

 **Annabella Giada, District Three Female In The 35th Hunger Games**

Annabella stood at the edge of the forest, her body ready to run but her heart ready to just fall to the floor in a fit of tears. She was terrified yet on the surface she looked calm and ready. Every negative thought floating around in her head. What if she forgot everything she had learned over ten years and was the first to fall down? The thought was scary and not something she wanted to face. She just wanted to go back to her bed and cry herself to sleep. Maybe have another ten years of training before they forced her into two Games in one week.

"Remember, Warriors, you will have sixty seconds to run and find your backpacks, not eliminating your opponents until after this countdown. Also, you can only ally with your Warrior Partner. Once again, anyone that breaks the rules will be eliminated!" the head trainer Amaryllis Snow shouted as she paced in front of the tributes. Her eyes scanning the crop she had trained for five years under a strict program.

Annabella looked over to Nero who gave her a sympathetic smile, Marzio who was stood next to him giving her a small thumbs up. The girl's social anxiety did not help with being alone. She liked Marzio, he was her friend but she would feel a whole lot more comfortable with Nero by her side.

The thought of being without Nero while hunted and attacked frightened her. When all she really wanted was to be in the boy's arms. Even the smooth voice of her celebrity crush, Ryken did not calm her nerves and it only got worse when the gong sounded.

Like a large wave, the twenty-four warriors burst into the woods, Annabella losing site of Nero and Marzio as they vanished into the thick undergrowth. In fact, the only person who had followed Annabella was Shelly who, despite following her was only doing a small jog.

In an attempt to lose her, Annabella did a quick turn into the thick undergrowth, following the small dirt path that snaked around the woods. She had only been sprinting for a few seconds when she quickly noticed a bag out of the corner of her eye.

In a split movement, the girl flung her arm out to the side, gripping the strap of the pack. However, the branches that had snagged on it pulled the girl backward.

The breath was knocked out of her as her back came into contact with the compact earth. Leaving her panting as she sat up, un-snagged the burlap pack and bringing it close to her. However, her peaceful recovery was short lived when Shelly came crashing through the bushes, standing over Annabella, not even out of breath.

"Pretty Arena, isn't it," she sighed, looking up at the sun that spilled in through the canopy. "I personally hope I see a baby deer, it's the right time of year and they are cute-"

"We can't ally," Annabella said slowly rising to her feet, her blue eyes drifting over to the number on the pack. It was Three but it was gold, meaning it was for Marzio. Thankfully both of their preferred weapons were a poisoned dagger so she could only hope that's what the pack held.

Shelly laughed, not in a menacing manner but in that of a happy young girl. "I don't want to ally, I am just waiting for the sixty seconds to be up." Annabella started to step back but with every step, Shelly matched but much faster. Annabella moved five more steps before crashing through the thick bushes to her right, hoping Shelly would not follow her.

"Twenty-nine, twenty-eight..." Ryken's voice echoed through the woods as Annabella's looked back over her shoulder at Shelly was only a few feet behind her. Annabella was not a good runner, in fact, it was her weakness so being up against one of the best Warrior's when it came to cross country was not the smartest idea. The sprinting was slowly starting to get to her, her lungs burning as her suit registered the thorns and nettles she ran through, making her leg tingle. The same must have been happening to Shelly but the girl did not seem fazed.

"Fifteen, fourteen." As the countdown lowered, Annabella fumbled with the backpack, trying to unzip it without slowing down her speed, even though she knew Shelly would not attack her until Ryken reached one. She did not want to be the first out, neither did she was to embarrass herself in front of Ryken, Nero, and Panem.

"Five, four, three." The second Ryken reached five, Shelly sped up to an inhuman speed, at least to Annabella as she charged at the girl. Just as the blue-haired tribute's hand touched the handle of the blade, Shelly crashed into her, knocking her to the floor just as the gong sounded.

The blade was lost in the bushes as Shelly picked up a nearby rock. She kicked a struggling Annabella back to the ground and before the girl could strike her in the stomach, slamming the rock into her head. As the rock came into contact with the surprisingly hard suit, it shimmered. However, Annabella refused to go down without a fight.

The girl kicked at Shelly, striking her in the knee, once again making the suit shimmer with a white light as the girl crumpled to the floor. Annabella turned to run again but Shelly leaped at her, dragging her by her shoulders towards the rock. Annabella let out a terrified scream as Shelly turned her over, leaning over her body. With a primeval scream, Shelly slammed the rock into Annabella's head, just as blue-haired girl's leg made contact with her knee once more. They both repeated the actions four more times, their suits shimmering until Annabella's suit flashed red.

Shelly stumbled backward, her leg, although not numb, tingling like really bad pins and needles. Annabella, meanwhile, lay on the ground crying as her cannon sounded.

* * *

 **24th Place, Annabella Giada (D3F). 23 more to go.**

* * *

 **Quick Note: Poison dagger just means it is coated with something that shuts down the suit. It's not harmful to the tributes.**

 **Warrior Pairs:**

Weapons

 **Berik Mathews And Nero Anghel**

Stealth

 **Evelyn Spires and Janae Rayon**

Hand to Hand combat

 **Venus Atwood and Pallas Narciso**

Plants

 **Sunbeam Feyre and Nathalie Sibylla**

Animals

 **Clarissa Silvia and Loretta Moriko**

Hunting

 **Maurice Powers and Ares Walker**

Tracking

 **Veyron Maverick and Vulcan Omiros**

Climbing

 **Grover Lindell and Tore Dante**

Electrical Engineering

 ** _Annabella Giada _ and Marzio Ottone **

Strategy

 **Balina Abbott and** **Shelly Bereg**

Orienteering

 **Belinda Herd and Romilda Vasilios**

General Survival

 **Coutille Harrow and Damon Romulus**


	23. Training Part 2

**Another training chapter! I have worked it out, there will be four more training chapters after this and then we will have our victor (for the training).**

 **I was thinking about giving the submitter of the victor sponsor points...what do you think?**

 **Also three important announcements!**

 **First one: I have put a poll on my profile I NEED you to vote on. I am doing a special Halloween interlude featuring the characters at Halloween. It will feature all the characters but it will be centered around the Halloween of one Warrior. I thought of many ways to make this fair but in the end, to make sure that you enjoy it and I can not be accused of being biased, I am allowing you to pick who this character is. Who's Halloween do you want to see? Vote in the poll and let me know!**

 **Second One: I have a new blog up. It is under realisimhg166thDOTweeblyDOTcom/ It is for my new story and I am very proud of it. A vast improvement from the Chosen Warrior one I think. So even if you have no interest in my new SYOT, please check it out and give me feedback.**

 **Third One: My SYOT is still open. I have honestly got some amazing characters and I am already excited to get started. However, I have lots of spots open so be sure to send yours in *finger click***

 **So enjoy this chapter, let me know what you thought, who you think is going to win and I wiz off and get some overdue reviews out there.**

* * *

 **Clarissa Silvia, District 11 Female for The 35th Hunger Games.**

From the second she entered the forest, Clarissa had opted for taking a straight path through. The numbness the thorns that caught her leg not slowing her down as she vanished into the thick cover of the woods. People came into view from all around her but every time, they zig, zagged away from the freckled girl, not wanting to pick a fight without their chosen weapon.

In fact, the darkness of the world around her had kept her concealed from any major threat but even she knew that stopping now would never work. The nettles would break down the sensors soon, leaving her a paralyzed mess. However, where the unbeaten path leads her was not much better.

With an irritated groan, she shielded her eyes from the bright lights that spilled through the opening in the trees. Before her was a large, stream, the sound of the fast flowing water echoing through the forest.

Clarissa leaned forward from out of the tree line, looking at the winding stream that seemed to cover the distance of the whole forest. Thankfully, most people had either ran away looking for another way to cross the river or had yet to arrive as there only seemed to be herself there.

The situation was bleak for Clarissa. She either made a move to cross it now, risking someone in hiding having an open shot on her or she waited for more people to arrive. If she had poison, she could have made the stream deadly, cutting off everybody's main water source. Sadly, the girl had nothing at that current time but her bravery and even that was in short supply.

So, with every inch of bravery she possessed, Clarissa slid down the muddy bank, almost losing her footing at the bottom. Once her feet were in the water, she did one last check and started to wade across the knee-deep stream.

The water was ice cold, so cold that even her suit could pick it up, making her legs feel numb. Around her feet, small shrimp and fish darted under and out of rocks that were scattered across the bed. Clarissa cursed her luck. She had been given the perfect chance to pick up some more water, the water moving fast enough to be drinkable yet she had nothing to contain it.

It was a sight though, the early morning sun shimmering on the surface of the water, the birds in the tree's giving it sort of a tranquil feel. All around her, rabbits bounded about, watching her for a few seconds before darting into the bushes. Her ears were full of the sound of the forest, birds, rabbits, the wind in the trees.

Suddenly, like sickness, Clarissa froze, tilting her head up towards the sky the still branches looking back at her. There was no wind and no normal animal could make the amount of disturbance that had been occurring from behind her.

Clarissa turned to run, pushing through the water as fast as she could when an arrow whizzed through the air, missing her by millimeters.

The girl let out a scream as she turned to face her attacker. Berik Mathews looked back, an arrow in his mouth, his helmet at his feet and his blue eyes focused on the Clarissa as he let another arrow fly. It spun through the air too fast for the girl to react, striking her on the right side of her chest, near her collarbone. However, instead of breaking a bone or lodging itself into her skin, it bounced off the suit and fell into the water, being washed downstream.

Berik looked lost for words until the right side of Clarissa's suit shimmered red, an intense pain tearing through her nervous system, every movement hurting like she had been shocked.

She looked back up, begging for mercy with her brown eyes when a rock flew from out the bushes hitting Berik in his thigh. Only then did Clarissa noticed the boy was stood on a rotting log that created a bridge from one bank to the other. A slippery log and a suit with little friction allowed the boy to slip off when his leg gave way, sending him into the deep water.

Clarissa saw her chance and took it. Gritting her teeth through the pain as she grabbed the first of Berik's arrows and clambered up the bank before running at top speed into the bushes once more.

As she ran back into the darkness, the bushes around her started to move, followed by a single pair of footsteps that crash through the fern undergrowth. It continued its pursuit after her until it was only a few feet behind. Determined to not become injured any more than she already had, Clarissa spun around on her heel, ready to jab her arrow into the eyes of her attacker. But, when she saw the silver Six glistening in the low sunlight, she knew she couldn't.

"Clarissa?" A small voice asked. The girl gave a nod, lowering her arrow.

"Was it you who threw the rock?" Clarissa asked, cocking her head to the side. Loretta just shook her head in response.

"I didn't throw any rock...who hurt you?" She asked in response, gesturing over to the arm that Clarissa cradled.

"Berik, he has an arrow-"

"Lucky bastard," Loretta chuntered under her breath. "I only have a small dagger," the girl sighed, tapping the backpack that was slung over one shoulder.

Clarissa smiled to herself, holding her hand out towards the girl. "Does this mean we are allies then?"

"Yeah, we are the only allies we can have and two is better than one," Loretta grinned, taking the girl's hand and shaking it firmly.

* * *

 **Berik Mathews, District 12 Male for The 35th Hunger Games.**

Berik scrambled to his feet the second the icy cold water touched the bare skin on his face, even then, he was trying to empty out the water from inside his nostrils. Once he was free from his coughing and spluttering, he looked up to find Clarissa but she was gone.

The silver lining in the situation was that the stone thrower had also vanished and his bow and arrows had not washed downstream. Shivering and grumpy, Berik picked them up, placed his helmet on his head and trudged out of the stream.

When he was out of the water, Berik sat on the bank, just out of view. He attached his arm guard and protective glove once more as he fixed the fletching on the arrow that hit Clarissa. Still agitated at her, it did nothing but add to his stress of that day. The real stress had happened from the very start of the Arena.

When the gong sounded, he tailed Annabella into the woods but when he caught sight of his bag, knelt down to pick it up. When he looked up, Annabella was gone, Shelly racing past him, pretending he was not even there.

Berik searched the woods, even after the first cannon had sounded in the hopes he would find her and protect her. He did not need to ally, he could have done it from afar.

It must have seemed strange to any outsiders that he would go to such lengths for the girl but most outsiders did not know how he felt about her. He had liked her from the second he met when they were children. Sadly, Berik was never a very forward person so never saw the point in rushing things. Well, it was his slow and steady pace that allowed Nero to sweep her off her feet and leave him alone.

It was not something he would ever forgive himself for and deep down he was not sure if he could really forgive Nero. Nero was his friend, his Warrior partner but part of him hated him for having Annabella. However, it would be neither Nero or his fault if Annabella was to be eliminated. The girl was disliked and it was no one but her own fault, even though she did not know how to help herself.

She was a shy girl, riddled with social anxiety that even after ten years, she was close to few Warriors. Not to mention the stress that consumed her from being the weakest in the pack. She had cried in Berik's company many times so he could only imagine how many times Nero had cradled her.

Life was what it was, nothing more, nothing less. That's why Berik cared about his life and the people around him so much because he knew there might not be a tomorrow. Now, Berik did not condemn anyone who believed in some sort of afterlife. In fact, he envied them for having faith in something so tranquil. Berik didn't believe in a hell or heaven, no place to meet lost loved ones, not awakening after death. To him, if he lost the Hunger Games, there would be nothing else, Berik Mathews was no more.

The thought frightened him yet it breathed life into his soul. It is what urged him to become a bounty hunter, to become the man he always wanted to be. The only thing he did not have was a guaranteed long life but then again, you did not have to be a Warrior to be denied that right.

He was just about to stand up when something loud broke the branches off a bush behind him. He slammed himself back into the dirt, pulling himself slowly above the bank to look at which Warrior it was. He hoped it was Annabella or Nero, neither of them would kill each him but when his blue eyes focused on a shape, it turned out to be Janae.

She was pulling out a backpack that had been tangled in the branches, almost like the bush had grown around it, She grunted in frustration as she slowly cut the branches with a throwing knife.

 _She is going to blunt that._ Berik thought to himself as she struggled. Being a weapons expert had given him a slight bond with the deadly objects. It hurt him to see a weapon used so carelessly but he was willing to be that Janae knew the problem too but it was all she had.

She was one of the youngest Warriors but she was also still a threat. And as no one was dying, Berik felt no guilt when he loaded up his arrow at the girl, trying his best to aim for the thick tree line.

He became still, his tongue sticking out in concentration as he aimed for the neck. Unfortunately for Berik, the moment he let go of the arrow, Janae stood up. It was less than a second but that second was long enough for it to hit her right knee instead of her face.

Janae jumped, her leg flashing red as it gave way from under her. Berik placed an arrow in his mouth, the other in the bow when something clattered against the bag of his suit. Before he could turn around, his suit flashed red and a cannon echoed through the Arena.

The blonde boy let out a defeated sigh as he fell backward into the water. Evelyn frowned as she jumped down from the opposite end of the back and towards Berik, holding a throwing knife.

 _I should have known Janae was not alone, she had a weapon but not her pack yet._ Berik thought as Eve laid him against the muddy bank and out of the stream.

* * *

 **Romilda Vasilios, District 4 Male for The 35th Hunger Games.**

"I don't like it under here," Romilda muttered when Belinda came back, an arm full of firewood.

"Don't be a baby, it's only the underside of a bridge." Romilda pulled a face as he watched a small spider building a web just above his head. He ducked down and moved out of the way, trying not to splash the water.

Belinda smiled at the skittish man and patted the stone step. Romilda once again pulled a face, bending down to make sure there were no spider webs before he took his seat.

Him and Belinda did the smart thing, they met up after the gong had sounded and ran off into the woods together. It meant that Romilda had missed out on his pack but they were both together and each had allies. Neither of them wanted to face the situation alone.

"I was thinking," Belinda said, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "In the real Games, would you like to ally? I mean, we have worked together for seven years...It's only me, Grover and Ares so far-"

"Can Veyron and Loretta join too?" Romilda asked, not skipping a beat. He was not too bothered about Veyron being there but he knew Loretta would not join without her childhood friend, a thing he accepted.

"Sure? I guess Grover will let them, he likes them...I don't think he will let Pallas in, though." Belinda said apologetically but Romilda just scoffed.

"He is not going anywhere near her in the arena, he will kill her."

The pair fell silent after that, looking at the water that swelled around their feet, fish darting in between them. Belinda glanced over to Romilda and smiled. "You really do love Loretta, don't you?" she asked Romilda, the boy glancing up to her with his blue eyes.

He quickly looked away, sighing as he did so. "Yeah, more than anyone could understand until they felt it themselves...it's best things stay as they are-"

"Why? She clearly likes you too-"

"I. Just..can't," Romilda said in a deflated manner, bending down and dipping his fingers in the cold water. Belinda gave a knowing smile. They were Warriors, everyone knew what it was like to be forced into something.

"Well, The Capitol dance is coming up, you could ask her to that-"

"You think Pallas is just going to hand his girl over? No man in their right mind would-"

"Maybe if you frame it like you want to go as friends-" Belinda was cut off by the highest scream she had ever heard. She turned back to Romilda who sprang from his perch, swatting his back like a madman.

It all became clear what the problem was when a large, black spider fell into the water. Belinda leaped in after it, scooping it up in her hands and placing it back on the stone. She looked back up at her partner but he had a look of fear in his eyes, his suit flashing red.

"Run!" he shouted as he fell forward, face first into the water. Behind him was Ares, pulling another arrow from his pack and reloading his weapon.

Belinda turned to run but Maurice was blocking her path. He raised his knife but Belinda just raised her knee, striking him in his crotch. There was a slight delay as the boy's suit flash white and he fell to the floor crippled in pain. By the time Ares had got his bow ready, Belinda had already vanished back into the tree line.

He glanced over to Maurice who was crouched in the water trying not to cry. He picked up the Arrow that had struck Romilda in the head, just as the cannon sounded.

"Sorry about that," Ares laughed, picking up Romilda's arms and dragging him towards the river bank.

"None taken, how are you?" Romilda sighed, flashing an unseen smile.

Ares shrugged. "Frankly, I want to be home...I miss my sweets."

 **23rd Place-Berik Mathews, District 12**

 **22nd Place-Romilda Vasilios, District 4**

 **21 To Go.**


	24. Training Part 3

**Sorry for the late chapter, University, and everything. Only two more training chapters after this and we are done with training. After that, we have The Capitol Party, two character-building chapters, elimination, the morning of/tubes/countdown and then bloodbath! I hope to be there by Christmas.**

 **Also, because of me, you did not get the Halloween one shot so it is now a Christmas one-shot. We may in the Games but yay for happy throwbacks. The results of the poll are up on my profile.**

 **Also, the tribute list for Realism is up. I am sorry if your tribute did not get in, it was hard to make a choice.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Maurice Powers, District One Male.**

Maurice cocked his head as he looked at the slow-burning fire in front of him and Ares. The flames ate away at the bed of dry leaves and twigs, pummeling a fine, white smoke into the air. He watched with his blue eyes as it came into the contact with the stone roof, splitting and moving along the surface until it reached open air and vanished.

The curly haired boy frowned. "I don't think it is a good idea to burn a fire," he muttered, Ares sharpening a knife next to him. The dark skinned boy shrugged, his brown eyes flickering over to their heat source.

"We only need it to cook the meat and heat us up, I will put it out before nightfall." Maurice looked at the dead rabbitts the pair had caught by Ares' feet, ready to be skinned and gutted.

"Hm, but people can still see the smoke-"

"Then we will be ready for them," Ares cut in, taking his sharpened knife and picking up one of the rabbits. Maurice did not push further. Seeing it best to allow his partner to continue his cooking and pay more attention to how he was to win.

As he leaned back against the stone wall, kicking up a small amount of stagnant water from under the bridge, he found himself entranced by the evening sky. The mixture of warm, fire like colours making it hard to tell where the warm glow around him came from.

The sky had amazed Maurice since he had started the Game. Being in The Capitol allowed him to earn insider knowledge, like that the Arena was a large dome type structure. However, this was real. Everything was set up to mimic the Games but the sky and part of himself, the part he hid from people felt slightly emotional about that.

Maurice felt fear, even if that was not the way of a Warrior but how could he not? He and Ares had been trained in hunting all their life. They could track down a rabbit and in snear a fellow Warrior but it did not offer much else. Their survival skills were not as sharpened as Damon or Cautille nor were their weapon skills as polished as Nero and Berik. In short, their skill set was almost useless, unless they happened to be placed in an Arena that allowed that was filled with fast pray and no other food source.

So, the lanky man felt his fear was justified, even if it had not taken complete control of him in the current moment. For now, he knew it was just a Game, children running about and knocking each other out of the running like some twisted game of laser tag. However, in a few weeks, a knife to the chest would no longer result in the flashing of a suit and the embarrassment of losing. His punishment would be a quick death if he was lucky, a painful one, even with that knowledge. No man was truly alive if the thought did not plague his sleep and eat away at him from the inside.

"Maurice," Ares grumbled as he pulled out the innards of the grey rabbit. "Could you grab us some mint...I saw so, me on the bank by the reeds." Maurice narrowed his eyes at the boy, shifting awkwardly. Ares frowned at the boy's reaction, carelessly throwing the bloody mass of guts into the water by his feet. "Really? After seven years of working with me, I'm the one young don't trust?"

Maurice moved his hand to the knife on his belt. "Only one of us can win...maybe you just want my back turned."

Ares rolled his eyes in response. "Or, I might just want some mint with my rabbit so if you are going to kill me, do it otherwise, go get me my fucking mint!" Ares' nostrils inflamed as he said this, leading Maurice to give an apologetic nod and rise to his feet.

Ares watched with a wary eye as his partner sauntered off and vanished out of view and up the bank.

Once out of site, Maurice dropped to his knees, allowing the silent tears to roll down his face. A day ago, Ares was his friend, laughing over a silly, underaged cartoon white raising his blood sugar. Now, he was on the verge of snapping and Maurice did not want to fall asleep next to man in case Ares decided to take out the competition. The dark haired boy had always wondered how they would make them all kill each other and it seemed he had his answer. Fear and the greed to win. Three people had already died, the thirst for victory was strong and when Maurice thought about it, none of them knew what prize they were fighting for. Sponsors may have been watching but the children were fighting for more, they were fighting just to say they had won.

Maurice arched his back forward as he tried to catch his breath, the footsteps of a worried Ares drawing closer. The boy sat up, quickly drying his tears as he grabbed a cluster of Mint. However, as he turned, he was met with the fierce face of Janae, slamming a dagger into his suit.

* * *

 **Evelyn Spires, District Two Female.**

Evelyn watched from the bushes as Maurice's suit flickered red before the boy fell to the ground with a thud. Like instructed, Janae turned to run back into the bushes from which she emerged from, trying not to drag her leg behind her. However, just as she was about to dive back into the reeds, a flash of silver spun through the air, striking the small girl in the back. The young girl's suit flashed red, using the last second of control she had over her body to throw herself back onto the riverbank.

Evelyn grunted, happy so see a strong competitor go but a capable ally nonetheless. She had hoped Berik would take her partner out, allowing him one shot on the girl but when he missed, it was her turn to take him out. Evelyn was just slightly relieved she was gone. It sounded cruel but she knew Janae better than anyone. A girl who the other Warrior's assumed was gentle and kid yet in the ring, she was stronger than forty percent of them.

The second silver lining to her partner's demise was that Evelyn now could run out like her knight in shining armor, gaining her trust and the support of sponsors. So she did just that.

Like a well-oiled machine, Evelyn burst free from her hiding place and threw a knife at Ares, missing my millimeters and scraping against the stone wall. Ares shrieked as the knife hit just by his ear, his eyes merely resting on Evelyn before he turned and ran away.

The dark haired girl gave a defeated sigh as she ran after the Warrior, quickly catching up with him and getting him in the line of fire. She knew Ares should have zigzagged and the boy realized that too, just as one of Evelyn's knife struck him in the back.

* * *

 **Marzio Ottone, District Three Male.**

When Annabella's face was shown that knight, Marzio held her backpack tighter. A pang of guilt rushing through the boy. He had picked up her pack, assuming that with them both being from the same Warrior pair, they would have the same things in their packs. However, Marzio was starting to doubt himself. What if he was the reason she died. Not that she could have made anything quick enough to defend herself anyway.

It held nothing more than a few wires and a transformer. Easily made into a weapon but not in the time Annabella had. This meant it was down to Marzio to bring home the bacon or in this case, the sponsors. It was not easy.

Sure, electrical engineering seemed like an amazing skill to pursue when he was a child but now it came down to the Games, it was useless. He could kill but only if he had the means to do so and the parts he had in front of him did not offer such help.

He had looked it over a thousand times, it was a one-use weapon at best and could offer nothing more than a jolting shock. However, as Marzio laid there, the low electrical hum of his suit faint in the night, he had an idea.

Who said he needed to kill the person _in_ the suit? And maybe, just maybe, he could knock out more than one Warrior.

* * *

 **Clarissa Silvia, District Eleven Female.**

Clarissa and Loretta sat back to back, their weapons held tightly yet their eyes heavy with sleep. Both just wanted to collapse. They should have taken it in turns but neither could admit that they lacked trust for the other. It seemed childish but neither girl were friends, per say and after all, there was only one victor.

The darkness did not help, their vision impaired and every rustled and movement the arena made making their heart beat increase. Yet, by the early morning, Loretta could hardly keep her eyes open.

She looked off into the darkness of the world, her body rocking and her eyelids shaking, becoming weaker by the second. Her blue eyes focused on a large, old tree in front of her, more of the finer details appearing as they focused.

She was not sure how long the figure had been there or why it took so long to react but by the time she shook herself awake, a blacked out figure. Barely visible stood by the tree. It cocked its head to the side, moving forward slightly, the moonlight shimmering on their black surface of their suit.

Loretta yelped as he jumped to her feet, knocking Clarissa on the shoulder but the dark haired girl failed to wake up until her body hit the ground. Loretta scrambled for the knife in her pack, only to be kicked back to the ground by another blacked out figure.

The second figure got ready to smash their foot into Loretta's skull when Clarissa threw a torch at them, their suit flashing white and the silver seven on their chest.

"Balina," Clarissa managed to utter before the girl smashed the handle of her knife onto her head. Clarissa's suit shimmered white as she backed away in the darkness but Balina followed suit, striking the girl in the chest as she tried to stand up. Any other day, Clarissa could have tackled Belina to the floor but with every hit, her suit made her weaker, hindering her useless.

A shriek caught drew both of the girl's attention towards Loretta who struggled in the arms of Shelly, the girl's helmet off as she jabbed her dagger into the girl's stomach over and over again. Seconds later, the girl's suit flashed red and Loretta fell to the floor lifeless.

Belina looked over to Clarissa who was panting on the floor, the suit making her limbs heavy. "You bitch!" she screamed, using the last of her strengths to leap at the girl, just as Shelly slammed her dagger into Clarissa's back.

* * *

 **21st-Maurice Powers-District One**

 **20th-Janae Rayon-District Nine**

 **19th-Ares Walker-District Eight**

 **18th-Loretta Moriko-District Six**

 **17th-Clarissa Silvia-District Eleven.**


	25. Training Part 4

**Hey, second to last Training chapter. We knock a lot of Warriors out tonight. I can say that I have my Victor for training. I don't have one for the Games yet but I have my ideas. These were a bit slow, I do admit but hopefully it picks up again during The Capitol Party. I have some juicy drama planned for that part.**

 **Anyway, on with the chapter (I am never good at interesting author's notes). I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The sound of terrified sobbing would attract any tribute with their eyes on the prize. Unfortunately for Pallas, this person happened to be Grover. Pallas was not sure if he ignored his footsteps or just did not register them but either way, he only took notice of the sound of wet mud being stepped in when the boy was looming over him.

Some part of Pallas hoped he would find a friendly smile on Grover's face, maybe even a smile of enjoyment but Grover just scowled at the boy.

"Got the sniffles after killing Loretta, eh?" he growled with more malice than even he expected. Pallas did not look up, his eyes focusing on the pre-sunrise sky.

"I-I would never, never hurt Loretta-"

"Cut the crap you crybaby, you were itching from the second the gong went off to stab her!"

"What the fuck do you care!" Pallas shouted back, for the first time facing the worn out looking boy. His blue eyes that always stood out were piercing against his mud-covered skin. These same blue eyes widened in shock and Pallas' words. The boy was not wrong, Grover did not care about Loretta. Sure, she was a sweet girl and she would not be someone he would kill away from the current situation. However, right now she was competition, he should have been pleased she was out of the running. However, the moment her face flashed in the sky, he got an anger in him that could only be calmed in one way. Finally killing Pallas.

"I will fucking kill your ass!" he growled, pulling an axe from his pack and readying himself. Pallas just glanced up at the boy and shrugged.

"Go on then." Grover looked at the boy in disbelief, his face red with anger.

"Are you not going to fight me?"

"Why? I just want you to take me out so I can see Loretta...this is boring."

"So what? You can kill her again-"

"I did not kill her!" Grover should have registered it long before Pallas threw the axe but his anger got the better of him. By the time he noticed it was an axe flying towards him and not just a dark mass, it had already struck his kneecap on the right leg. He watched in fear as the axe clattered to the floor, seconds before his leg flashed red and gave way from underneath him. However, the boy managed to grab onto a branch a steady himself.

Pallas looked up at him, his face derived from emotions. "Are you going to kill me or not?" he asked, moments before Grover threw his axe into his chest.

* * *

"I feel bad," Balina sighed as she watched the sunrise break through the dark sky. Her body was leaned against the small stone bridge that overlooked a large, natural lake. It was beautiful but Balina could not appreciate it. "They were our friends."

Shelly scoffed at her ally's words, nibbling on a small, stale piece of bread. "That's war."

"But this isn't war," Balina sighed. "This? It's just...sick!" her voice echoed through the woods, bouncing off the water and scaring some ducks that graced the water.

"Is that how you really feel?" Shelly asked.

"I still want to kill, it just feels wrong after we spent so much time together-"

"Look," Shelly said softly as she walked to Balina's side, pointing down at the water. "I am sure your _friends_ will understand your actions...just like you will." Balina's smile dropped but before had a chance to run, Shelly was already kicking her off the bridge.

* * *

Grover pulled himself through the thick bushed that lead to his camp. Well, the two tree's that was his camp. With him and Tore being climbers, it only made sense that they would clamber up the tallest tree. However, what once was an amazing hiding place was now Grover's weakness.

Pallas' wound had left him unable to walk. Well, he could walk on his left leg but the boy found it easier to move by crawling.

Groaning and on the verge of screaming, Grover crashed through the bushes near the camp, the frustration of his handicap threatening to boil over. However, like a pan of bubbling water that had the heat turned off, his anger died down, his blue eyes falling on Tore.

"Hey, Grover!"

"What are you doing on the floor?" Grover hissed his arms straining to carry himself much further. The black figure, who be assumed was Tore stayed still yet an apologetic sigh escaped him.

"I fell out of the tree-"

"You what?" Grover bellowed.

There was a moment of silence before Tore spoke again. " I fell out of a tree?"

Grover slammed his hand into the ground, screaming in anger. Tore remained silent until his ally had calmed down. "What the hell is the point of an ally if they just die!"

"You are going to be very lonely in the arena then-"

"Tore? Just go away," Grover sighed.

"Ah, yeah," Tore sighed. "Can you move me please-"

"I haven't got working legs you fucked!"

"What the fuck happened to you?"

"At least I didn't fall from a fucking tree...Why won't they come get you?" Grover asked.

"Oh, the tree cover stops the craft getting to me," tore sighed, pointing at the craft that hovered nearby. "Please don't leave me here, friend."

Grover glared at his friend before rolling his eyes. "Fine!"

* * *

The bear stared at Vulcan, his amber eyes watching the Warrior for the slightest movement yet his was frozen and posed. Vulcan mirrored his response, his eyes shimmered with tears. It couldn't be a bear, they would not place such a deadly animal in the arena with him. Yet here it was, his brown fur allowing the animal to stand out slightly from the darkness.

Vulcan hoped that if he just stood his ground, the bear would see he meant no harm and leave but the animal was reluctant to turn his back. Maybe th warrior should back away, slowly, without turning his back but desperation forced him to stay. For behind the creature, hanging from a tree was Vulcan's pack. He no longer cared about the weapon, he craved the water and food it held. It had been twenty four hours since he last eaten or drank. Although his stomach had stopped grumbling hours ago, turning to it's own fat reserves, his throat was dry, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. Vulcan had no doubt that although it would not kill him, a few hours longer without the nourishment, he would be no use in a fight.

"Please move-" Vulcan was unable to finish his sentence as with a bone rattling growl, the animal moved forward, showing off it's large, yellow teeth. However, that was not the thing that caught the boy's eye, it was the shimmer the bear made like some sort of hologram. To test his theory, he moved again allowing the animal to move, mirroring his last growl down to the last detail.

Vulcan smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why, you are nothing more than a Halloween decoration!" he laughed, the animal once again growled. If Vulcan knew one thing about holograms it was that they could not hurt you.

With his new found confidence, Vulcan moved forward, paying no attention to the charging beast. Even when it swung its oversized paw at him, Vulcan just smiled. That was until it hit, his suit sparking red.

It didn't hurt when he was blasted into the air however, as he was thrown into the ground, his arm shattered from underneath him, sending a shockwave of pain through his body. The suit, that was once flashing red was now back to it usual, glossy black self.

A cannon sounded off in the distance as Vulcan rolled over, clutching his shoulder, pressing his face into the ground to muffle his screams. It took a minute of writhing in pain for his elimination from to kick in. _After you die, your suit renders you paralyzed._ The words bounced around his head yet when he stretched his fingers out in front of him, they moved without an issue.

Vulcan looked back up at the bear but but it was now gone, in its place was a projector hanging crudely from the tree, sparking as it did so. Vulcan looked down at his suit, his body still rushing from adrenalin. "They are electric…"

* * *

Veyron looked at the smoke that circled the tops of the tree's the smell of burning wood filling the evening air. It was not right, only a few metres away was another fire, one every few metres. Someone wanted it to be seen.

Veyron backed into the safety of his bush, little interest in whatever game the creator of the fires was playing. It was unlikely it would spread so it did not concern him. However, the boy kept a careful eye on the outside world. His interest only peaking when he caught side of Grover wading across the water and towards the otherside. Veyron could have ran out and killed him but it wasn't his style.

The Warrior saw no point in seeking out conflict. In his eyes, the best way to win was to wait it out until the final few. That way, he avoided the chance of premature injury. _The final four._ Veyron had decided, he would not make a move before then. Only when twenty canons had gone off would he attack fellow Warriors. There had already been twelve and if the fires had anything to do with it, there would be many more coming his way soon. _I might just win this._

* * *

 **Pallas Narciso-16th**

 **Balina Abbott-15th**

 **Tore Dante-14th**

 **Vulcan Omiros-13th**

 **12 To Go.**


	26. Is This The End?

**WHO IS READY TO FIND OUT THE VICTOR OF TRAINING?! I am! In our final chapter of Chosen Warriors, you shall find out. Enjoy.**

* * *

Nero waded slowly through the water that rippled around his waist. The rainfall the previous night had swollen the river. It was cold and muddy but the fire on the opposite bank called to him. There were only Eleven Tributes left not including himself and darkness were creeping up on him. He wanted as little work as possible for himself in the morning.

As he clambered up the steep slope of the bank, the sound of disturbed water forced him to swing his sword around, holding it to the neck of Sunbeam.

Sunbeam smiled back at Nero although her heart was pounding. She did not fight just to die before the final ten. She needed some form of the sponsor. Well, the girl had not fought per-say. After hitting Berik with a stone on the first day, she vanished into hiding, only emerging when Clarissa's face flashed in the sky. There was no one to step aside for now.

"You after the fire too?" Sunbeam asked, cocking her head to the side. Nero gave a nod, making a smile form on the blonde girl's face. "Ya' know, there are fires all along the bank...it might be a trap,"

Nero's stern face dropped for a second but he quickly regained it. "Then why are you here?"

* * *

I will get you!" Shelly squealed with joy as she chased Venus through the undergrowth. It seemed out of character even for Shelly, it wasn't Venus fault that she went to the toilet on the girl's weapon.

However, Shelly was not the type of person to change her mind once she had decided on something so Venus had no other choice but to run. Why she ran towards the fire was simple, if she was going to go down, she wanted someone to take Shelly out too.

Sadly, as the girl slid down the waterlogged earth, a knife clattering off her thigh, making her leg flash white and give way from under her. She looked up just in time to see Shelly charging towards her.

Shelly smiled at the girl as she readied another knife but something down the stream caught her ear. A man shouting. "Nero," she smiled, spinning the knife around in her hand. She took one more glance and the pathetic excuse for a Tribute that was Venus and turned towards the noise. However, as she took a step forward, Evelyn crashed out of the bushed and pushed her to the ground.

"Leave him!" she hissed, wrestling the dagger out of the girl's hand. Shelly opened her mouth to speak once more when an arrow landed near her head. Both girls looked up towards the other bank where they saw Damon holding a bow, an arrow at the ready.

"Get her into position, Shelly-"

"I'm sorry!" a voice screamed out into the forest, like a guilt-ridden scream. Seconds later, the world flashed white and Damon was thrown into the air, the ground sparking from underneath them.

* * *

 **I LIED! There will be another chapter after this, showing which tributes died, what happened and who our victor is.**

 **After this bombshell, what do you think happened and who do you think caused it? Keep in mind we have some tributes unaccounted for.**


	27. Sparks Will Fly

**Hey! I promise you will have a victor at the end of this, I just couldn't resist the other night XD Don't get down if your character does not win, this is just training and it won't affect your character too much. It does set a lot of character story points into motion.**

 **I have had this account almost a year now, exciting. I am very proud of how far I have come in that year. I feel I improve every story.**

 **Now, after this we will go straight into The Capitol party I think that might be two or three chapters, then we have Warriors getting ready for the Games, the elimination, night before, tubes and then the bloodbath. Ah, I am excited. I have a lot of stuff I have already planned and has been hinted at throughout the story. Plus in the bloodbath, you will understand the importance of something. Eeeek, I really hope you all like it. I am in love with the arena before I have even written it. I hope you fall in love with it too.**

 **Anyway, on with this chapter, you can skip to the bottom and view the victor now but it's more fun to read.**

* * *

Nathalie shielded her eyes from the bright light and tore through the arena, the wet mud around her feet sparking up and throwing her back in the air. Unlike multiple other suits she had seen shut down, she's died with an ill spark as she was thrown with force into the river that curled through the arena.

Up until that point, every time a Warrior would remove their helmet, it would allow a gush of air to escape. However, this time, it fell away from her suit, landing a few steps away from her body.

With a groan, the dark-haired girl pushed herself to her feet, as she looked at the world around her that had once more become still. As she looked over to the fires, still burning away, Damon stood up on the opposite bank, as confused and dazed as herself.

Just down the stream was Shelly and Venus, the pair blasted away from each other. "Are we out?" Shelly asked, her voice cracking due to fear. The explosion even rattled her.

"Nero!" Evelyn screamed, throwing herself into the water and running to the boy's side. He floated face up, blood trickling down from his cut face until the girl pulled him to his feet and dragged him to the river bank.

 _Is that it?_ Nathalie thought as more and more people emerged. The chorus of cannons that followed answered her question.

No.

* * *

Ten canons. Nine of them. Ringing through the Arena in quick succession. It was terrifying. Yet Belinda was alive. She had already been on the other side of the river stalking Marzio when he screamed a seemingly random apology before clicking a button that lit up the area.

Once she was sure he was safe, the boy blown back himself and his constant clicking of the switch doing very little, she made her way out from the dry cave.

"You took them out!" she hissed, her weapon at the ready as the boy scrambled to his feet. "You took them out without even looking them in there eye!" The girl was crying now, the happiness about Grover making it so far being dashed at his possible elimination. Now all she felt was anger.

Marzio took a deep breath before speaking. "It's what I was trained to do-"

"It's wrong-"

"But I am not good at anything else!" Marzio screamed, so loud his throat felt like it was tearing. "I thought electrical engineering was cool but it's just crap, I'm going to die...at least you can fight so I guess you are better off than me-"

Marzio fell silent as Belinda charged at him, her sword scratching the surface of her suit before clattering to the floor. The girl's anger faded as she noticed the boy's suit did not flash, neither did he become paralyzed as he bent down and picked up the sword.

"It got me too, it's over for me," the boy sounded defeated as he looked at the sword in his hand, the point aimed at the wet mud he stood in. "Electrified water, even the mud, dirty but it's the only thing I know how to do...that and-"

"You should have spent more time training instead of playing video games, you might know how to use weapons-" Belinda was cut off when Marzio, faster than she could react, smashed the sword into her chest, knocking her backward as her suit flashed red.

"That and sword fighting."

* * *

Shit," Grover grumbled as he lowered himself down from the tree, one other canon joining the previous nine. "The final two," he sighed to himself, a sense of twisted pride rushing over him.

He had watched the ground below him spark, only surviving because he hung from a tree by his arms. _And they said pull-ups were a waste of times._

Grover grunted as he pulled himself along, dirt being forced under his nails, pulling up weeds and the odd clumps of grass that grew in sunny areas. The strain on his arms was becoming intense, the burning of his biceps starting to become unbearable. It was hard to pull himself around like a toddler for twenty-four hours. That mixed with hanging from a tree and pulling Tore's body into the open had done him in. Had Grover been any other person, he would have given up right there and then. Then it hit him.

Eleven canons, there were only eleven Warriors, aside from himself, left. An overjoyed smile spread across his face, quickly followed by a crazed laugh. "I won," he whispered to himself, just to confirm his belief. "I won!" he then screamed to the sky, telling the world of his achievement. He went to rise to his feet but his left leg let him down, causing him to fall to the ground.

The wind was knocked out of him, his excitement replaced with anger. He scowled at the sunlight that spilled in through the canopy, his chest rapidly moving. "I fucking won!" he bellowed. "Now get me out of here!" nothing answered him, no anthem, no hovercraft, only the sounds of the river trickling by.

Grover sighed as he rolled over onto his stomach, pulling himself along the grass and towards his axe. _Someone has to be left...but who?_ One by one, he went through the tributes but after a few, he was unable to know if they were alive or dead. So he went through who was still alive at sunrise. twelve, twelve Warriors were still alive including himself. The number was staggering and scary to the boy that so many were eliminated so quickly but as he reached out his arm for his weapon, something, even more, stomach-turning crossed his mind. Ten cannons would leave two people left.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, a hand cut in front of him and picked his axe up before carelessly throwing it in the bushes. Range but also fear built up inside of him as he looked up at the figure who held a metal club in his hand. Veyron.

Grover even surprised himself with how fast he could crawl away. His upper body strength was certainly paying off. However, Veyron had working legs and a club. After a few seconds, Grover knew it was no use, Veyron could keep up with him just by walking.

The dark haired boy stopped, allowing Veyron to slam his club down into his head. "Fuck you!" he screamed as his suit sparked red. _You will be the first one to go._

* * *

Coutille jumped when an eleventh cannon shook the arena, shortly followed by the anthem. Veyron's face flashed in the sky as it played. The girl let out a soft sigh, a smile forming on her face. Out of everyone, Veyron was someone that deserved to win. He was not bloodthirsty like Shelly or Grover but her smile quickly vanished as she looked around at Warriors that sat on the bank with them.

They were not sure who set off the electric shock but they would find out and when they did, that person would have a target on their back. Same with anyone who killed someone stronger than them.

That begged the question, how many relationships, friendships or alliances had been shattered by such a training program? At first, Coutille thought the training was just a way for The Capitol to boast about how strong the Warriors were. However, now she understood it's true intention. To show them that no matter what bond they had built, no matter who they trusted, none of it mattered in the Arena.

Coutille could relate. Although she did not seek out a fight, if someone like Shelly had attacked her, Coutille would have knocked her out of the competition without little remorse. Even if it was someone kind like Loretta, she would have done anything to win. And this was a Game where no one died. What might the girl do to survive the real event? it was terrifying.

 _I spent my whole life thinking they would not change me but maybe I become the very thing they wanted._

* * *

 **12th-Marzio Ottone**

 **11th-Damon Romulus**

 **10th-Nero Anghel**

 **9th-Sunbeam Feyre**

 **8th-Venus Atwood**

 **7th-Shelly Bereg**

 **6th-Evelyn Spires**

 **5th-Nathalie Sibylla**

 **4th-Coutille Harrow**

 **3rd-Belinda Herd**

 **2nd-Grover Lindell**

 **Victor- Veyron Maverick**

 **Congrats to Veyron's submitted, he is the victor for training. I know not everyone got a POV before they died but this was only 25 hours long. It started at 10 am and finished at 11 am. There was not much development during it, that all happens afterward. There will be a small part of the next chapter of The Warriors meeting each other after training.**

 **I just wanted to point out that I had Marzio knocking out a lot of the competition for a long time. Annabella mentions that she and Marzio share the same preferred weapon, a poison dagger and although she feels the handle of a blade, she never see's what it is. Well, it was a sword, a skill Marzio secretly posses. Marzio picked up Annabella's pack that held things to create a weapon that would produce an electrical shock. In that same POV, Marzio hears the hum of his electrical suit and gets an idea.**

 **It took a long time to make such a weapon so from about 6 pm until 9 am the next morning without sleep.**

 **At about 8 am, Vulcan was killed by the bear hologram, something just meant to frighten him but when his suit came into contact with it, the two meeting caused a small explosion, something his suit protected him from but it also killed the suit, meaning on the way down, the impact hurt.**

 **Around the same time, Marzio set a group of small fires to draw tributes in because even if they knew it was a trap, they might come for the other tributes. Once they were in the water or on the wet mud, he set off the charge that was conducted by the water. The moment it came into contact with the suits, it blew the Warrior back, knocking their suit and them out.**

 **So, I have had it planned from the start. At one point Marzio was the victor of training but I thought it was realistic that Marzio would have been caught by his own invention. He also mentions in his first POV that it only had one charge, hence why he could not use it again.**

 **Rather proud of that so I'd thought I would mention.**

 **QUESTIONS, WORTH 5 SPONSOR POINTS EACH!**

 **-How do you think Snow will react to Marzio's invention?**

 **-What do you think about Veyron being the victor?**

 **-What do you think about Marzio's plan?**

 **-Who do you think will win the real Games?**

 **-What relationships do you think have been ruined by training?**

 **-Has anyone got a target on their back?**


	28. Last Dance

**There is only one Capitol party and it is a shit storm. I thought after training and with Shelly getting down to work, it was not going to be all laughs and smiles. It's not happy, I am sorry. Now that is out the way, this is the last "fun" chapter, after this, it's pre-pre Game stuff. There is are no interviews because I don't think they would be needed, The Capitol has seen these kids for ten years, an interview won't change much. I think we are about three chapters away from the bloodbath? I ain't sure.**

 **Let me know what you think and did any of the things that happen to shock you? Enjoy!**

 **Also, sorry this is so short, I should be doing work for a presentation that is due tomorrow so bye!**

* * *

There was a morbid silence as The Warriors waited in the grand hall of the presidential mansion. Training had only ended hours before and some wounds were still fresh. Even Warriors who never came into contact with each other, like Pallas and Loretta, shifted away from each other, expecting the other to throw an axe into their skull. It was safe to say thing were most likely to remain like this until a victor emerged.

Belinda held her head in her hands, her brown eyes trained on the marble floor below her. It was a stressful situation everyone had found a new hatred for someone since the Game's, Marzio being the most common. There was nothing worse than training all of your life to be taken out by a spark.

To rub salt in the wound, the Warriors had been gathered, ready to announce who would go to the ball with who. Whenever the thought crossed Belinda's mind, her eyes flickered over to Grover, who would offer her a warm smile back. He made a blush, something part of her was no thankful for. She couldn't help it, he looked handsome in his tanned suit and hair slicked back. Although their relationship had not been made public, she hoped that she had been paired with him. Although attachment was negative so far into the Games, she found herself unable to picture the night without him.

She pulled her eyes away from Grover, a guilty smile on her lips and rested them on the small, spider-like cameras that got every possible angle. As she watched them, zooming into the tributes face, Ryken stepped out, a bright smile on his face. Belinda had to admit that he looked more dapper than Grover and the boy must have sensed this as his smile turned into a glare. Saying that Ryken was hot felt too strange for Belinda, however. She had heard so many people say it, it did not feel right. Plus, he was far too arrogant for her liking.

"Now, Warriors, as you know, the public have been voting for who they would like you to spend the night with, are you excited?" there was a delay between Ryken's words and The Warriors excited cheers. "Well, we will start off with the two from District One, if you have already been

paired with someone, you name will not be called again...Right, District One, Maurice Powers!"

The Warriors turned to the boy who stood nervously as he awaited his partner. "Ares Walker!" Belinda turned to smile at the friends but both shifted awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

"Sunbeam Feyre with Clarissa Silvia!" At least this pair seemed happier with the public choice, Sunbeam clapping her hands happily as Ryken moved on.

"District Two, Nero Anghel, Evelyn Spires!" Nero's face dropped, along with Annabella. Evelyn, on the other hand, looked over the moon, even though she tried to hide it for Annabella's sake.

"District Three, Annabella Gihad with Berik Mathews." this brought on a similar reaction as Nero and Evelyn although Berik seemed far more eager, almost clambering over chairs to "comfort" her.

"Marzio Ottone with Venus Atwood!" Mazio looked over at Venus who scowled at him.

"Venus-"

"Don't," she growled, turning away from him.

"District Four Romilda Vasilios with Loretta Moriko!" Pallas looked like a wounded animal as Loretta placed her hand on his. Romilda, on the other hand, looked rather smug.

"Shelly Bereg with Pallas Narsico!" There was a collective gasp, even the two Warriors in question seemed shocked. Nonetheless, they moved next to each other.

"District Five Damon Romulus with Vulcan Omiros!" At least these two looked happy as they gully smiled at each other.

"Nathalie Sibylla with Janae Rayon!" The pairing was odd but Janae looked so young, Belinda couldn't see her with anyone romanticly.

"District Six, Veyron Maverick with Balina Abbott!" Clearly a random pair, Belinda was not sure the two had even spoken to each other, let alone in a romantic or friendly way. In fact, Belinda would have paired Veyron with Grover over Balina. The pair seemed somewhat content with the choice, though.

"District Seven, Grover Lindell with Belinda Herd!" Belinda stood upright in her chair, unable to hold back the large smile on her face as she looked over to Grover who seemed equally as pleased. It sounded cheesy and too good to be true but spending the night dancing with her prince charming was the best way it could go.

"District Eight, Coutille Harrow with Tore Dante!" Grover gave the boy a quick thumbs up, causing him to blush and Coutille to roll her eyes at the pair.

"Remember, although the public is not watching, you will be in a room with our president and angering or pleasing on him can effect your time in the arena."

* * *

Grover dragged Belinda into the garden where hundreds of guests were already dancing to an unknown but beautiful symphony. He turned to her with a childish grin, grabbing her by her waist and pulling her close. The dark-haired girl looked up at him and smiled, her hand tracing down his back and towards his-

"Grover!" a voice called, causing the boy to jump slightly and swing around, coming face to face with Laurel.

"Good Evening Miss Zeta!" Belinda chirped, failing to notice her dates worried expression.

"Belinda, why don't you all get us a drink?" Grover laughed, pushing the girl away.

"That won't be necessary, I only came to say hello."

"I will get me and Grover one," Belinda said with a friendly smile before leaving the Warrior and mentor.

"So, that's who you got paired with?" Laurel asked once Belinda was out of earshot. Grover laughed nervously.

"Yeah-"

"She is pretty-"

"Not as pretty as you," Grover said with a wink, causing a smile to spread onto Laurel's face. "Who are you here with?"

"Gerhard," Laurel sighed, gesturing over to the bearded man. Grover scowled.

"Is he still trying to get in your pants-"

"Grover, he isn't that man...he can be sweet...but yeah he said if you don't get back, he wants to marry me-"

"Did he? Mother fucker," Grover grunted, looking back over to Belinda who was stood at the bar. She turned and smiled at him, two drinks in hand.

"Well, I will leave you to it...we still meeting tomorrow night?"

"You bet ya," Grover winked before turning back to Belinda. His eyes moved down her dress, a smirk forming on her lips. Laurel was hot, but Belinda was out of this world. From her D's to her hourglass shaped body, no man could be faithful.

"You look beautiful-" Grover was interrupted by a bright flash.

"Is it true you two are dating?" A reporter asked, pulling down the camera.

Grover's mount hung open but Belinda smiled. "Yes," she said, gripping Grover's hands in her's, the camera once more flashing.

"What the fuck did you do that!" Grover growled at Belinda, the reporter scurrying away.

* * *

"I don't like this," Damon sighed, leaning against the wall.

Shelly rolled her eyes. "You wanted to win-"

"And breaking a relationship up is the way to do that?"

"Two relationships," Shelly corrected.

"Oh yeah and that makes it better-"

"Oh, stop being a baby and give me the stuff and in ten minutes, come back with Loretta." Damon gave a defeated nod and the two parted ways, right after he gave her the date-rape.

"Damon!" Vulcan cheered but he stopped when he saw Damon's grim expression.

"Whatever you do, don't trust Shelly," Damon grumbled before pushing past his boyfriend.

* * *

"Loretta!" Damon called to the blonde girl who was looking lost on the dance floor. She looked over at the boy and gave a worried smile.

"I have lost Romilda," she sighed. "I went to get a drink and got lost." Damon looked down at the floor, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

"I don't want to ruin your night nor do I want to upset you but as your friend but I think you should know."

Loretta's breath hitched. "What's happened?"

Damon bit his lip as he leads to the destination Shelly had told him to bring. He felt bad but he understood that any alliance could be a risk to himself.

However, he did not expect to see the sight he saw. There on the bed, rather naked, was Pallas and Shelly, both of them asleep.

Damon's blue eyes flickered over to Loretta who was trying not to cry yet he body shook uncontrollably. "Lor," Damon said softly, holding his hand out to her. The girl looked up at him, a single tear rolling her cheek before she turned and fled.

Damon himself wanted to cry. It was one thing to kill people he liked but to break them days before he did so? That was cruel. He looked over to a naked Shelly who placed her bra back on.

"Did you rape him?" Damon asked, earning a disgusted look

"I ain't-a monster, Damon."

* * *

Romilda sighed as he laid back in the chair on the empty third floor. He didn't take Loretta for the type to run away from a date but the girl had been missing for half an hour, it was the only thing he could think had happened.

However, just as he was about to give up and get his own drink, Loretta burst through the door, in a flood of tears. She attempted to run past the well-built boy but he grabbed her in his arms and pulled her close. However, the force of her struggle caused him to stumble backward until he fell onto the floor.

After a few moments she calmed down, Romilda spoke. "What happened-"

"Pallas slept with Shelly," she sobbed. Romilda gave a nod, mentally getting angry at himself for the peng of happiness that spread through his body.

"Well, maybe it was a lie-"

"I saw them, naked in bed together," Loretta wailed, forcing Romilda to once again silence her. _Well, that makes all the difference._

The anger Romilda felt was horrid. Loretta had put up with so much from the boy and for him to go and cheat on her, well, he wanted to break his neck right there and then. However, for Loretta's sake, he kept a cool head. "Well, I'm sure you can talk it out-"

"It's over, I don't want to see his face again unless I am shattering it with a hammer." _Okay then._ Romilda kissed Loretta on the top of her head and gave a deep sigh.

"Well, no matter what, I will be here for you, throughout this, throughout the Games, I will never leave your side," he hummed, stroking the girl's hair as he did so. Loretta pulled away and looked up at the boy.

"Promise?"

"I promise." There was a momentary silence before in an unspoken agreement, the two smacked their lips into each other. They held the kiss for a few seconds until Romilda started to move into it then Loretta pushed him away.

"I will not become like Pallas-"

"I thought it was over." Loretta gave a nod, allowing Romilda to smile. "Then what's holding you back-" Romilda was unable to finish due to Loretta pushing him to the ground, straddling him and smashing her lips into his.

It was so rough that Romilda was unable to lift his head yet he worried she would get second thoughts, give him a taste of what he had lost and take it away. However, after she started grinding and made no attempt to stop Romilda from undoing her dress, he knew she wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Venus had left Marzio the moment she got the chance, leaving the boy in the middle of the dance floor alone. He tried to smile but really he just wanted to crawl into a hole and cry. He had electrocuted half of the Warriors almost, including Venus. He was seen as a traitor. Aside from Annabella, she thought it was cool.

Anyway, as he was stood then, he expected the last person to scoot up next to him to be Shelly, holding her purse tightly. Marzio looked over to her and frowned.

"You can edit photo's right?" Shelly asked.

"What is it to you?"

"Now, if that any way to speak to someone you electrocuted."

Marzio shifted awkwardly. "What do you want editing?" Shelly smiled before leaning to whisper in the boy's ear.

"No, why would I ever do that?" scoffed, turning away from the smug looking girl.

"Well, turns out Snow's daughter has a thing for me, but I am sure Snow will believe a little hacker like you stole them." Marzio froze, his drink trembling in his hand.

"But-"

"And then we can all guarantee that Snow will eliminate you...if he does not already plan to but I don't think you want to take that risk, right?"

* * *

Thank you for saving me," Nero sighed, not even looking up from his empty glass at Evelyn. He had been slightly sour since he was knocked out of training. _I could have died if it was the real thing._ There was nothing more than small talk he felt up to, really he just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep.

Evelyn gave a nod, one again ending any chance of conversation. However, her part was the shakes, on a date with the boy she had been crushing on since a child? Nothing could go wrong but in her nervous state, she was not making it a night to remember either.

"I'm off to get a drink...you want anything?" Nero sighed, dusting off his jacket.

"Surprise me!" Evelyn sang, earning the first grin from the boy that night. However, once he was gone, she sat back in her chair and sighed. _At this rate, he won't want to be your friend, let alone fall for you-_

Evelyn was interrupted by a buzzing. Her eyes flickered over to Nero's tablet that he had left on his chair, a recent message flashing up from Marzio. Evelyn tapped the screen to get a longer look at the photo attached. It was a low-quality photo but the two subjects could be easily made out. It was Annabella and Berik, making out.

"Nero!"

* * *

Where's Nero?" Annabella asked as she scooted up next to Evelyn. The dark haired girl frowned.

"Shouldn't you be more bothered about where Berik is?" Evelyn spat, crossing her arms.

Annabella let out a small laugh. "He is over there with Vulcan," she pointed out, gesturing towards the bounce, blonde boy.

"How could you?" Evelyn cut in, he eyes glaring at the blue-haired girl. "How could you cheat on someone like Nero?"

Annabella felt her heart stopped, her body tense as Evelyn said these words. "I didn't-" She stopped when the toilet door at the side of the bar opened for Nero, his eyes red despite his attempt to calm down. He looked over to Annabella then quickly away, tears threatening to spill from his eyes once more.

"I didn't-"

"We will talk about it in the morning," Nero sighed. "Evelyn's taking me home." Annabella watched him walk away but when Evelyn moved forward, dragged her back with her arm.

"Do you think you can get with him by telling him lies?" Annabella seethed, Evelyn just pulled a disgusted face.

"I might like him but I would never hurt him to get what I want," Evelyn growled. "You just don't understand how lucky you were," and with that, she turned and walked away, leaving Annabella at the bar by herself.

The girl started to sob, her chest moving rapidly as she tried to hold in a wounded wail. "I didn't do it!" she screamed until her throat hurt, uncaring towards the people who looked and stared.

"Annie?" Berik asked Marzio had already slinked away with guilt.

"Leave me alone!" she growled back at the boy before vanished out of the exit.

* * *

"You like me, don't you," Coutille sighed, glancing over at her bad dancing partner, Tore. The boy's face flushed red and although he went to defend himself, he could tell by the sad look in the girl's eyes that it was no use.

"Yeah, for a bit...guess I didn't impress you, huh?" Coutille looked down at the floor where her eyes had been for most of the evening.

"I-it's not that, we go into the Arena in two days…so, you see, even if I like you back, I can not afford for weakness." Tore's face dropped as he turned back around to face the bar, gripping his hot, spiced apple in his hands. Coutille watched the boy try to hold back his tears with pity. She had watched him for a long time, going out of his way to impress her but she had ignored his advances.

"Well, I guess if I am going to die anyway, I have something to tell you...about the latest election." his words intrigued but she still had not gotten over her guilt from the rejection.

"Tell me while we dance," she laughed through a grin, offering her hand out towards the short boy.

* * *

Grover walked down the halls, trying his best to escape the crowded room of Capitol guests. It was not long before he was lost but he recognized the people that passed him, giving himself comfort that he could always find his way back.

"Congratulations!" one green hair man cheered as he passed the boy, patting him on the shoulder. Grover found such an action strange but carried on until a butterfly covered woman did the same thing.

"Why?" Grover asked with a fake grin. The woman looked over to him, an amused smile on her face.

"Because of you and Belinda...I always knew you would get together, right from the start-"

"How did you know that?" Grover asked, slightly more concerned that he intended.

The woman frowned. "It's all over the live update, you made the front page." She sounded cheerful but Grover felt like mentally slapping himself until he bled. _I only have to hide from Laurel for two more days-_

Like all the bad luck had manifested for Grover at once, Laurel rounded the corner, her eyes locking onto the dark haired man like a lion on its kill. Grover could have taken her but in this instance, he decided to flee.

However, as he ran from his girlfriend, Belinda appeared in front of him, a worried expression on her face. "Are you okay?" she asked as the pair came to a stop.

"Did you know?" Laurel growled, pushing past Grover to look the girl in the eye.

"Know what-"

"That this prick was screwing you while he screwed me." the words hit Belinda like a fist to the chest, the world slowing down around her, moments before it shattered at her feet.

Her eyes moved over to Grover who looked guilty but terrified more than anything. "H-he wouldn't do anything like that," Belinda whispered with a shaky voice, trying to convince herself that the words Laurel spoke were not true. Grover's face said otherwise.

"Face it, we both got played...He isn't worth it," Laurel sighed, glaring at Grover as she did. Grover opened his mouth to speak but Laurel just turned and walked away, leaving him and Belinda in silence.

* * *

Sunbeam flopped on the sofa that faced the TV in the living area. It bleared out updates on the progression of The Games, the Warriors crowded around it with blank expressions on their face. "Did everyone have fun?" she smiled but the group just glared at her optimism.

"mine could have been worse," Nathalie offered with a shrug.

"You could have danced more," Janae grumbled, earning a scowl from Nathalie.

"Why don't you just shut up-"

"Come on guys, we are all friends here-" Clarissa was interrupted by Grover rising to his feet and smashing his glass against the coffee table.

"Stop with the bullshit, we ain't friends, we never were, we were just raised to kill each other!"

"You okay?" Ares whispered a passed out Maurice against his shoulder. Grover looked at the boy, his face softening slightly.

"No, the girl I have dated for years left me and I just know that Gerhard will be on her like a dog to a bone!" Belinda shook her head, her eyes still red with tears.

"Nice to know that is all you care about," she snapped, pushing herself off the sofa and storming to her room. The Warriors watched in shock, their eyes glancing over to an enraged Grover.

"Where the fuck do you think-" Grover's words were interrupted when with an electric hum, metal slats dropped in front of the windows, blocking the outside world from view. Any rage or anger the Warriors may have felt melted away into fear, Belinda backing back towards the group that had huddled together by the TV.

With a beep, the sound of each Warrior's room door locking itself rang through the apartment until the silence was once again regained. However, it was short lived as seconds after, with a shattering bang, the door swung open, making way for thirty Peacekeepers holding bulletproof cases and large guns. They were followed by Cadmus Agne, a large grin on his face.

The blue-eyed man stopped in front of the Warriors and looked them over with a large smile. Once all of the Peacekeepers had got into position and the room had fallen silent, he spoke.

"As you know, I am your Head Gamemaker and like you guys, this is my first shot at The Games. Now, for ten years, your life has been pretty easy but I am sorry to inform you that the easy life comes to an end tonight. It is time to get down to business."


	29. Goodbye My Friend

**It is time. This chapter we will lose TWELVE Warriors. The Games are 24 hours away for the rest of the Warriors. The next chapter will be super long, the night before, the morning of, tubes and countdown. I am so excited for you to see the Arena. It's been hard keeping it a secret.**

 **Also, while ill, I published a small one-shot about a boy being reaped. If liked enough I may expand on it but for now, just a bit of fun.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"First act of business is your wills-"

"Our what?" Coutille interjected Cadmus, her eyebrow raised.

"Wills, something you write for your family, saying who gets what of your stuff, an act of mercy on The Capitols part," Coutille grumbled her thanks while rolling her eyes, Cadmus did not seem to care though and continued. "All of your stuff will go to your family, you will have no say in who gets what but we do need DNA evidence to prove it was agreed to by you."

The Warriors flinched at the evidence part, their minds running wild with the crazy things this might entail. However, Cadmus did not leave it to stew as with a wave of his hand, three Peacekeepers grabbed Belinda and pulled her head back. The girl had learned over the years to not fight Peacekeepers but that did not stop her body from resisting slightly.

She knew what was going to happen the moment she heard the sound of an electric razor. Her fears were confirmed when it buzzed against her scalp, cutting free any hair that was left. The ordeal lasted for about five minutes but Belinda did not cry. 'New hair, new me' mentality controlling her emotions. However, she was thankful after that they left some hair on her head and she was not bald.

After that, the warriors were separated into girls and boys. Some girls took it in their stride while some, like Annabella, sobbed as they cut her blue hair off. The boys, on the other hand, acted like it was another day at the barber. Their hair was shorter than the girls, they all looked like monks but none of them seemed too bothered.

Every Time a Warrior's head was shaved, their hair was placed in a plastic bag, sealed with their name written neatly on in marker. The Warrior was then lead to a table and given a blue slip of paper.

Grover was the last person, his anger still boiling from the break up with Belinda and Lorel. So when he sat down and read the words on the form, he felt the crushing weight of boredom on his chest.

 _I, Grover Lindell, confirm that all my personal belongings will be passed on to my family or a museum in the event of my death._

That was all it said, that a small area Grover himself had to sign. If it was anything else, Grover would have torn the form and stormed off to bed but with the elimination at sunrise, he knew it would be the most foolish thing he could do. So he signed.

Like all other twenty-four of the Warriors, he signed away the last right he had to anything. He knew The Capitol would pick the best things to display in whatever Museum they were referring to, his family would get the crumbled up paper bags he kept under his bed. It may have seemed like an old woman's habit but you never knew when you would need a bag. Or maybe people would find it interesting. "Look, Grover kept bags, what a tool."

Once everyone was finished, they were transported to their stylists only to be painted in subtle makeup and loungewear. They were meant to make it look like they had just woken up, tired and worn out. In fact, they never slept.

When they were done, they were herded in front of the TV strategically placed around it so they could be captured on live view. Usually, they would have been pushing and shoving, arguing and laughing but no one could find it in themselves. Sleep, fear, and lack of ownership over their own lives could send the best person over the edge. They knew that in a couple of minutes, the nation would watch Twelve of them executed right before their eyes. Twelve people, they had grown up with and become friends too.

However, despite the grim atmosphere, the moment the countdown ended and the TV flickered to life, their years of training kicked in. Bright smiles spread on their face as they waved to the public they could not see. The only person they could see was Ryken, his sleepy but excited face smiling back at them.

"Welcome Warriors, is that some new hairstyles I see?" Like a bad production, all the Warriors moved to speak but it was Balina that beat everyone to it.

"Yes, I personally think it will help me in the arena, can't leave anything to chance," she said this with a wide grin but even she knew that there was no hope if the public had already decided to eliminate her.

"Wonderful, well, I personally think it is an improvement!" Ryken cheered, clapping his hands together. "As you know, tonight we will say goodbye to twelve of you, the eliminated. To save you the anxiety, we will get it over with."

Even though they would have to kill each other in just over a day, the Warriors linked hands, gripping each other tightly.

"In no particular order, Marzio Ottone!" Marzio's grip on Venus' hand became tighter as the girl started to shake, her eyes wide in shock and her breath shaky. _At least it seems like she forgave me._

"Pallas Narsico!" The boy didn't seem surprised, he instead stood up, his fists clenched and eyes brimming with tears. He didn't even look at the sobbing blonde girl next to him.

"Loretta Markio!" The girl stopped her sobbing and looked up, her heart pounding. Veyron slammed his hand against the chair while Romilda turned to Ares with a stern face.

"Can we volunteer-"

"Romilda Vasilios!"

"You don't need to," Ares muttered in reply. Romilda seemed content with the vote though, moving his hand to Loretta's shoulder.

"Clarissa Silvia!" The girl didn't miss a beat like she had rehearsed this moment a thousand times. She grabbed a shocked Sunbeam and turned her around to face her.

"Win for me, okay?" she said, the blonde girl gave a small nod but her eyes remained in a state of shock.

"Ares Walker!" The boy slammed his foot into the back of the chair, knocking Grover off his perch. However the dark-haired boy did not scold his friend, he instead tried not to punch someone or something.

"Maurice Powers!"

The curly haired boy looked over at Ares and smiled. "At least we are together-"

"We are still going to die," Ares replied bluntly.

"Vulcan Omrios!" The boy just shrugged, a small defeated smile on his face. He grabbed Damon's hand in a last, secret embrace.

"Tore Dante!"

"Berik Mathews!" The blonde boy looked over at Nero who quickly moved his glance away. Nero was still upset with him but that did not make losing a friend any easier.

"Janae-"

The Warriors did not hear the rest of the girl's name as Nathalie threw her glass at the TV in a fit of anger. Earning a harsh look from Cadmus.

"And finally, Annabella Giada...Congratulations to those who made it through...those who didn't, you will be executed tomorrow at sunrise. Goodnight ladies and Gentlemen and Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Once the TV had shut off, the Warriors were given five minutes to say goodbye to the eliminated. Annabella went to stand up, tears streaming from her eyes when something yanked her back down the sofa and into a tight hug.

She let the tears fall from her eyes as Nero ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you," she mumbled into his chest, earning a small whimper from the man.

"I love you too, more than anything."

Meanwhile, Tore stood at the end of the room, waiting for anybody to come forward and say goodbye. The only person who might have seen him off, Grover, was too busy saying his goodbyes to Ares.

Just when the five minutes were about to be up, Coutille scooted up next to him, trying to smile but he could tell she was angry.

"It's not fair," she mumbled. "As if making us fight was not bad enough." Ares smiled back, he was sure the rebelling he had done to gain her love had got him into this mess, he could not find it in himself to rant about The Capitol now.

"I know you don't like me but could I have a hug-" Coutille did not allow him to finish, grabbing him and pulling him into a tight embrace. Tore blushed as he hugged her back, wishing such a thing could have happened before he was put up for execution.

"Tore?" Coutille asked, waiting for Tore to hum in response. "Give 'em hell."

* * *

 **We will have one more chapter with our eliminated, the morning of their execution. Please understand that if your Warrior was picked, it does not mean I don't like them, it was a hard choice and I picked people based off what I thought would happen due to their storylines.**

 **Below are the reasons why they were picked. My thoughts will come next chapter. Some Snow had a hand in, some just didn't get the votes and some missed out by a handful of votes. Take a look.**

 **Reason they all got eliminated.**

 **Tore-** Knew about Snow cheating during the presidential election.

 **Romilda-** Got told if he had romantic relations with someone he would be eliminated. Slept with Loretta.

 **Loretta-** Slept with Romilda.

 **Pallas-** Unpopular.

 **Annabella-** Unpopular.

 **Berik-** Bounty hunting.

 **Clarissa-** Rebel

 **Maurice-** Lacking in a few votes.

 **Ares-** Lacking in a few votes.

 **Janae-** Seen as weak.

 **Marzio-** His stunt during training.

 **Vulcan-** Sneaking outside of boundaries.

 **So Question time.**

 **How do you think the safe Warriors will react to those chosen?**

 **Did anyone shock you?**

 **What did you think of the chapter?**

 **Until next time!**


	30. May The Gods Be Ever In Your Favour

**The Arena is here. No deaths, though. Super long author's note but it will explain things and some of it is super important.**

 **Everything else is said at the bottom so for now, enjoy.**

* * *

The rest of the day felt like the after party of a funeral. Everything was set up to be happy, the big meals, the new clothes, yet there was a grim silence in the air. It was hard to dress up without Tore complementing Coutille and hard to eat dinner without Ares grumbling that he had to eat the main course before dessert.

This resulted in an awkward last feast. They could have ordered anything they wanted yet most of the Warriors picked at their food, their mind drifting over to their friends that would be killed the next day. It was starting to get on Cadmus' nerves. If this is how they reacted to twelve competitors being taken care of, there was a chance none of them would want to kill in the morning.

"You all really need to grow up," he mumbled, taking another sip of his wine. "Look at you all, crying over the lost competition. And you really expect to kill each other in the morning?"

"Maybe we don't want to kill each other," Coutille growled. "We have grown up with each other, it's wrong."

Cadmus gave a low laugh. "You want to be thankful Snow wanted to make an example of you, if it was up to me, your rebel ass would be with the rest of them." Coutille shrank back into her chair. "We have shown you kindness for ten years, now it's time to be grown-ups and pay the bill." With a wave of his hand, a Avox ran to his side and poured him more wine.

After most of the Warriors had forced their meals down them, they stood outside their rooms, their eyes drifting over to the doors of the eliminated, then to each other.

"It feels wrong," Grover admitted, his stomach turning every time he looked at Ares' door.

"Tomorrow we kill each other...maybe tonight we could be friends one last time," Balina sighed, her head resting against her door. The other Warriors gave a nod of agreement before entering their rooms. A few moments later, in an unspoken agreement, they walked back out, their covers and pillows in hand.

They followed each other to the designated sleeping place, by the TV, and claimed a spot. However, this time it was considerably more free space and fewer arguments for the middle of the huddle. There were no laughs, just the shallow breaths of the person who lay next to them.

After an hour of sleepless dreading, Nero spoke up. "Can you remember the first time we did this?"

Balina gave a nod. "Second night here, it was Romilda's idea."

"He just wanted to sleep next to Loretta." Veyron chuckled.

"So did Grover-"

The dark haired boy slapped Nero on the chest. "I didn't-"

"Yeah you did, you had a thing for Loretta for about two years," Nathalie sniggered in reply.

"He tried to climb the TV to impress her but fell and broke his leg," Damon said, on the edge of happy tears.

"Climbing boy!" Evelyn and Nero screamed, remembering the nickname they gave Grover back when they were little children.

"Ooo, then Ares gave us the sweets he had snuck in," Belinda blurted out, making Sunbeam choke in stifled laughter.

"Oh yeah, he is the reason they lifted the ban on sweets for us," Sunbeam remembered.

"You could never keep sweets away from Ares," Grover said with a smile.

"I wish we could go back to then," Venus sighed, her back turned to the rest of the group to hide the tears that ran down her face. "Back when we were friends, not being forced to kill each other, back when Marzio had to fix that stupid TV Grover broke," the ghost of a smile showed on lips with the last line but she had already sucked the happiness out of the room.

"Well, I think as long as one of us is still alive, these memories can not die," The rest of the Warrior's gave a nod of agreement and went back to their silence but this time they were all holding hand. A symbol that no matter what they did in The Games, nothing could change the happy memories they carried with them.

By the morning they had all at least got some form of sleep but no form of a nightmare that plagued their sleep the night before could prepare them for a Peacekeeper wake up call in the form of a blow horn.

The small digital clock Shelly had placed on the television told them that it was only 3 am, much to her displeasure. As they sat up, they found their stylists smiling back at them. It was time to get ready for the Games.

Grover and Balina were led to the same room, being from the same District, but after their makeup, they were taken behind separate curtains to get dressed. The clothes were, revealing, to say the least.

Grover was placed in nothing but a leather skirt. His lower arms and calfs were protected by thick leather bracers and shin guards. His shoes were strong, leather sandals, their laces tied in a bow near his shin but they were covered by the guard.

Balina did not look much different, the same shin guards, skirt, shoes, and bracers. Yet she had a leather bra over her breasts. She looked as angered with the costume as Grover. How did they expect them to fight for something so revealing?

They did not have much time to complain at the moment they were both ready, they were whisked away by Peacekeepers and placed on a hovercraft with the other Twelve Warrior's all dressed in identical clothing.

Nero was the first off the hovercraft, along with Evelyn but the pair were separated early on and taken to different launch rooms. The one Nero was taken to was the first room they passed, the cold white walls showing no sign of personality. His brown eyes fell on his head Stylist.

"I'm going to freeze to death!" he bellowed, his body already shivering. "You expect me to fight in my underwear?" his stylist smiled at Nero's anger.

"I think the Arena will be warm, they wouldn't want hyperthermia to be the leading cause of death...they didn't train you up for ten years for that." Nero knew he was right but still felt on edge of his chest being so exposed. "First," his stylist said, hurrying over to Nero and placing something in his ear. "Your tracker-"

"I already had mine put in on the hovercraft-"

"Just doing what I have been told to," the stylist said with a shrug as the small metal ball trickled into his ear. "Second!" this time he pulled a large, thick cloak from a hook behind him. He flung it over Nero's back and fastened it at the front with circular, gold brooch with an upside down V engraved into the metal. It was heavy but Nero was just glad for some warmth.

The third thing was a large helmet that covered all of his face, leaving only his eyes and mouth exposed. Even the bridge of his nose was protected from any dirty fighting. However, on top of the helmet was a thirty-centimeter, Green feather mohawk.

The last thing was not what he expected, a great round, gold shield with a simple band of green circling the center engraving that was a helmet, much like his. He was confused by the shield, that they would give him such a valuable thing before The Games had even started. However, Nero was not about to ask questions as he stepped into his tube, ready to go to war.

When the door closed and he started to rise, he knew his waving, crying stylist was right, he could already feel the humid heat that was funneled down his tube from the arena. It hit him like a blanket as he emerged onto the pedestal, the heat so hot he felt his body scream out in shock. By the first few seconds, sweat was already trickling down his face and he felt thankful for the little clothing he wore.

The world before him was beautiful, nonetheless. The humid world was dark but the bright moon and fireflies that zoomed through the air gave off enough light to illuminate the place. The place in question was a vast labyrinth stretching for as far a the eye could see, the walls at least 20 feet tall, too high to see over.

The setup of the pedestals was vastly different from other years. They were stationed in a brief semi-circle but not around a cornucopia. But around a pile of bags, each one a different colour and sporting a different symbol. He noticed the green one that had the same helmet he and Evelyn had on their shields printed on. In fact, now he thought about it every District had a different colour and symbol on their shield that matched the bags. _Do they really expect us to fight over bags instead?_

"Congratulations Warriors for getting to the Games, this year will be slightly different. The bags you see in front of you hold six bottles of water, two loafs of bread, a weapon and a random gift. There is one for everyone but there are no rules against how many you can take. However, the weapons can not be used for now. As for the next twenty-four hours, we are showing mercy. If one tribute can find the exit to this labyrinth in that time, you will all be allowed to live. However, if not, we will default to the normal Games where there is only one victor. Save your weapons in case that happens."

Nero noticed the atmosphere change when Cadmus said this, the feelings in the air switching from betrayal to the need for teamwork.

"Good-luck Warriors, and may your Godly sponsor be on your side."

* * *

Ares woke with a cramped neck, the grubby cell him, Annabella, Loretta, Tore, Maurice, and Clarissa had been placed in offering little comfort. He wishes he could have slept longer as he saw the rising sun reflecting through the small window above his head. However, when he saw the tired eyes of everyone else, he knew he was lucky to have slept at all.

With a buzz, the unnoticed speakers from inside the cell sparked to life, making Tore scream out of his skin.

"We have split you into two groups, one person from each will take part in one on one battles until there is only one person left. That person will then be transported to the Arena to compete with their fellow Warriors. You were once Warriors but from here on, you are gladiators. Let the Games begin."

* * *

 **YAY! I can finally tell you what the Arena is! It's Greek Mythological Labyrinth. Each District is connected to a Greek God and the Warriors are dressed as Spartans. You might think "Well this came out of nowhere." but nope, I had this planned from the start.**

 **In fact, the whole story is based around Spartan Warriors. At the age of seven, Spartan boys were taken from their mothers and trained to be Warriors. They trained until they were eighteen (eleven years) when they were classed as young adults and trained the younger. They were fierce. They were encouraged to steal and if caught, punished for being caught. Apparently one boy stole a young fox and allowed it to tear his stomach open and kill him than allow his theft to be found.**

 **So you can see where this story came from. Following with that theme, I decided to have each District be connected to a Greek God. Which brings me onto the theme of the Chariots. It was the Greek Gods!**

 **District 1- Swans-Aphrodite**

 **District 2-Dogs-Ares**

 **District 3-Donkeys-Hephaestus**

 **District 4-Sealife-Poseidon**

 **District 5-Black Rams-Hades**

 **District 6-Stork-Hermes**

 **District 7-Owl-Athena**

 **District 8-Thunder Cloud-Zeus**

 **District 9-Deer-Artemis**

 **District 10-Peacocks-Hera**

 **District 11-Fire-Hestia**

 **District 12-Wolves-Apollo**

* * *

 **So, that's all out of the way, although there is more surprises to come, these are the Warriors and their Godly Sponsor, colour, and symbol.**

 **District One, Sunbeam Feyre-Aphrodite, White, Swan**

 **District Two, Nero Anghel and Evelyn Spires-Ares, Green, Helmet**

 **District Four, Shelly Bereg-Poseidon, Purple, Trident**

 **District Five, Damon Romulus and Nathalie Sibylla-Hades, Blue, Skull**

 **District Six, Veyron Maverick-Hermes, Gold, Winged Sandals**

 **District Seven, Grover Lindell and Balina Abbott-Athena, Pink, Moon**

 **District Eight, Coutille Harrow-Zeus, Brown, Lightning Bolt**

 **District Ten, Belinda Herd-Hera, Yellow, Crown**

 **District Twelve, Venus Atwood-Apollo, Red, Lyre**

 **These will become important to The Warriors in The Arena. AND ONTO SOME IMPORTANT THINGS!**

 **YOU get to pick the victor of the Gladiator Games. Down below is the fighting pairs, pick who you want to survive from each pair. This is the first round. The next one, you will be picking who you want to win overall. Remember, the victor goes back into The Games.**

* * *

 **ROUND ONE:**

 **Loretta vs Pallas**

 **Berik vs Clarissa**

 **Tore vs Marzio**

 **Ares vs Vulcan**

 **Maurice vs Romilda**

 **Annabella vs Janae**

 **Remember to vote as you get to decide the victor on this round.**

* * *

 **Sponsor point questions (these will come into effect soon):**

 **Thoughts on the final night? (2 points)**

 **Thoughts on The Arena? (3 points)**

 **Thoughts on Chariot theme and Godly sponsors? (5 points)**

 **Thoughts on Gladiator Games? (3 points)**

 **Thoughts overall? (4 points)**


	31. Let The Games Begin

**Right, I have a couple of announcements.**

 **First, I am halting progress on Realism for the time being. I am going back to it, I just want to focus all my attention on Chosen Warriors for the time being.**

 **Second, if I owe you a review, I will be getting it to you soon. I can't promise it will be much as I am a terrible reviewer at the best of times but it will be to let you know I am still reading. I didn't really enjoy my first few months of Uni so I did feel up to much more than writing.**

 **Third, I have pretty much got all of this story planned out. There are a few blank spaces here and there but almost everyone's deaths are planned and I have my VERY short list of victors.**

 **Fourth, blog has been updated with a death book. That is where all deaths will be noted.**

 **Last, voting for the first round of one on one battles is CLOSED. No votes will be counted. The winners and losers in each battle have been decided.**

 **Anyway, onto the fun stuff. There will only be one or two battles every chapter so one, I don't overwhelm myself and two, you get to see how the other characters are doing. This chapter is pretty much the bloodbath chapter. AND WE HAVE OUR FIRST DEATH! IT HURTS, SO MUCH! I have grown to love all these characters so it hurts to kill any of them. It must be done though so enjoy (and don't skip to the end).**

* * *

 **Nathalie Sibylla POV**

As the countdown started, so did the tension in the air, all they had to do was find the exit and no one else had to die. Everyone wanted to fight for it but they all knew that to navigate a labyrinth it was best to work together.

"If you want to work with me to find a way out of the labyrinth, stay here once the gong sounds, if you want to go on your own, we won't stop you," Evelyn said to her fellow Warriors, a few giving nods in response.

Nathalie felt torn between staying and running away. She had never worked well in a group and she knew that if they did not find the exit in time, it would be slaughter. However, there was also the risk that if she went alone, she would come out with no allies and would be first on the menu for leaving.

Her eyes flickered around the group, the number of Warriors that relaxed on their podium, clearly staying to help their friend the majority. Most of the stronger Tributes seem to side with Evelyn. The last thing Nathalie wanted was to get close to them but she also did not want to be on their bad side.

As the golden number lowered, a high pitch ticking echoing through the Arena, Nathalie looked out at her new home. She could not see above the hedges but in front of her were three passageways. All looked the same down to the last detail but no doubt one would lead them to the exit.

Slowly, in the last few seconds, her eyes moved to the large pile of bags, focusing on her's that sat crumpled under multiple others. She kept her eyes on them as the gong sounded, her body jerking backward as she moved further back onto her pedestal. A mixture of childish fear, the stubbornness to move into what frightened her the most and the knowledge that if she left her starting spot, she would run off into the night, not even picking up her pack.

Nathalie saw the event happen in slow motion as she stood there in a daze. The image of Grover sprinting towards the supplies. No one made a move to stop him, Evelyn has even stated that people were free to move. The boy didn't hesitate as he picked up a cluster of bags by their straps and threw them over his shoulder.

"Fuck off" Evelyn screeched shaking Nathalie back to reality in time to flinch away from her green shield that spun through the air, striking Grover on his shoulder. The boy growled as it clattered off his bare shoulder, causing him to drop most of the bags he held.

Without a second thought he picked three back up but as he reached for a second green pack, another shield missed his head by inches, bouncing off the hedge. This time it was thrown by Nero.

Realising that the next shield might not miss, he cut his losses and ran down the middle passage with three packs. Evelyn was in hot pursuit, however, the moment Grover passed the hedges, they started to move, like a door closing on him. The dark haired girl stumbled backward as she watched the thief vanish into the labyrinth.

"I will fucking kill you!" Evelyn snapped through the hedge, reassuring Nathalie that staying was the right choice.

As the girl lowered herself off the podium as she watched Nero pick up his shield and hook his arm through it once more. "It was my pack he took, not yours," he sighed to his angered District partner.

Evelyn inhaled deeply as she continued to look at the spot she last saw Grover. "I know, that's why I'm angry," she turned to Nero, tears in her eyes. "He took your weapons, he has sentenced you to death."

* * *

 **Grover Lindell POV**

Grover didn't stop running, even when the walls of the labyrinth move, blocking his path and driving him deeper and more lost in its depths. In fact, he only stopped when the walls stopped blocking his path, opening up to a quiet, tranquil thicket, dotted with olive trees.

With a worn out smile, he threw the bags from his shoulders her and leaned against one of the hedges, making sure his body was concealed by one of the trees. It would not protect him but it might hide him long enough to react to an intruder.

Grover felt like a snake but it was needed for his survival. There was no way The Capitol would train them for two years just for them to all live because they found the exit. He wouldn't be shocked if there wasn't one. However, the way the hedges moved made him think they didn't want him to find something.

The bags were another blow, if he had not just run away he could have kept some good terms with people. Now they would all want him dead if they didn't find the exit. Grover thought it was still the best idea. When everything else fell through, he would have some of the strongest Warrior's weapons at hand, he had made them weaker thus improving his chances. He also had now had eighteen bottles of water so when the humid heat caused everyone else to use their resource up, Grover would still have his. Not to mention while they were all hunting for the exit, he could find food and water sources, placing himself higher up when they failed. _More will leave soon when they realize it is hopeless, only one of us will win._

With a shrug, he pulled his packs closer and started to open them. His head the water and food, A spear and some toenail clippers. Nero's held some rope and spear but one with barbs at the end, designed to tears out someone's insides. Belinda got a pack of matches and a staff with a peacock design on top. _Well, these are not our preferred weapons at all._ Grover thought about his axe.

"Grover!" a voice squawked, making the boy jump out of his skin. "Grover!" this time, his eyes shot up to the olive tree only to find a large owl looking down at him. He watched it as it's beak parted and it shouted his name once more.

"Since when could owl's speak?" Grover said shakily, expecting the mutt to swoop down from the tree and peck out his eyeballs. It did swoop down and at terrifying speed but zoomed past him, latching onto a rotting hand that reached out of the hedge and for Grover's cape.

Grover screamed as he stumbled backward, the straps on the packs getting caught around his ankle and tripping him up.

The owl, meanwhile hissed as it tore the fingers off the hand, only flying back up to its perch when the hand had vanished. When Grover looked back up, the bird was gone, leaving in its place a small slip of paper that floated down, landing at the boy's feet.

It took him a few moments to calm down from the ordeal but once he had, he picked up the note and started to read.

 _Congratulations, you have earned the favor of Athena. Be sure not to lose it. Gods can be very fickle._

* * *

 **Evelyn Spires POV**

With the anger from Grover's betrayal still burning within her, Eve stood in front of the Warriors who by now had removed their weapons from their packs. Evelyn herself had received a spear, not a weapon she was comfortable with but she was pleased to just hold a weapon in her hand once more.

"Everyone!" She shouted, gaining the Warriors undivided attention. "It has come to my attention that we will not be able to cover enough ground in the time given in one group. For this reason, we will be splitting up, I leading one team and Nero leading the other...any questions?"

Coutille rose her hand, her face coated with fear. Evelyn gestured for her to continue. "Wouldn't the group that gets Belinda have a better chance with her Warrior skill being orienteering?" the girl asked, causing the group to look at Belinda.

Evelyn shook her head. "This is about who can find the exit first, it is about finding it. If we find it, none of us have to kill, we will not have to lose more people close to us will die by our hands." as she spoke these words, some of the Warriors who had lost people cast their eyes to the floor. Sunbeam pulled her knees up to her chest while even Nero himself kick up some of the sand beneath him in the thought of Annabella and Berik. However, the one Evelyn looked at with the most pity was Veyron. The calm giant had not said a word since Loretta's elimination. Once again, he was sat at the back of the group, making no attempt to hide the tears from the loss of his childhood friend and the only piece of a home he had left.

"Nero's group will take Veyron, he is a tracking Warrior, he is the closest thing to Orienteering." the boy just gave a small nod, his heart clearly elsewhere at that point.

"The groups are as follows, with Nero will be Sunbeam, Venus, Veyron, Balina, and Coutille. With me will be Damon, Shelly, Nathalie, and Belinda." The people looked to their new leader when their names were called out. "Nero and I are not there to boss you about but to ensure we work to the best of our ability."

The group of Warriors did not look convinced by Evelyn's words but on command moved to their group without question.

Nero's group moved to the far right passageway while Evelyn's group moved to the left. Just before they vanished, the groups of Warriors took one last look at each other. Next time they saw each other, they might be trying to kill each other.

* * *

 **Loretta Moriko POV**

They pushed Loretta out of the doorway and into the sandy, humid matter how quickly she turned around, the gate was shut and locked up.

"And our first competitor, Loretta Mariko!" A voice boomed. Although she should have smiled and waved, her face moved into a pained scowl.

"And our second competitor, Pallas Narsico!" Maybe the words from Ryken held on longer in her own head but when her eyes fell on a terrified Pallas, she felt sick. She had been beaten by Pallas enough to know that he could kill her if needs must, most of all when he was stressed and she had no weapon.

It seemed stupid to give trained killers no weapon but The Capitol wanted a bloody battle, you didn't get a drawn-out one from blades and maces.

"Put me with someone else!" Loretta screamed as Ryken, earning a bout of laughter from the audience. "We are not well matched!" once again, he words were taken as a form of comedy, not a single person taking her plight seriously.

"I'm sorry Loretta," a voice whimpered from behind her, cutting short her protest. "You don't trust me...I'm a bad person," he sniffled, his body hunched over like he was in physical pain.

The blonde girls face softened as she slowly moved towards him, her slender arm outstretched. "You are not a bad person, you just need help," she whispered, her hand running through his sandy blonde hair. Behind her, the crowd cooed at the love.

"Will you help me?" he asked through his cries, sitting up with his arms out but his head still trained on the floor. Against her better judgment, Loretta smiled slowly leaning in for a hug and wrapping her arms around him tightly.

He wrapped his around her tighter, placing one of his hands under her chin. The placement of said hand did not become painful until he started pushing up with it. "Pallas-" she was cut off when Pallas slammed his hand into the bottom of her chin again, this time he didn't stop pushing until she was looking up at the sky.

With a sound of breaking bone, Loretta's twitching body fell to the floor, her eyes still wide in shock. The crowd broke out into a teary applause, giving Pallas a standing ovation like he had completed a tragic scene from a play.

"I'm sorry Loretta," he whimpered once more, placing his hand on the stomach of his now dead Girlfriend. "I'm a bad person."

* * *

 _ **24th Place-Loretta Moriko, District 5, killed by Pallas Narciso, District 10.**_

 _ **Loretta was never a victor. She ended up having a spider-web of connections to other characters. However, I knew once in the Arena, it would be hard for any of these to stay interesting. However, I did not expect you to pick Pallas over Loretta in the battles. In a normal Game, I still think she would have gone down in the bloodbath. She did not have the skills to make it far. However, against regular Tributes, she would have made it to the final few. You will be missed by your lover, Romilda, childhood friend, Veyron and even Pallas.**_

 **Now Pallas has removed the only thing in his way, will anything stop him?**

 **As for a few things in this chapter. The weapons the tributes have are the ones connected to their Godly sponsor and to gain the support of your Godly supporter, you have to impress them. Like Grover did with Athena.**

 **I think there will be about nineteen chapters left until we have our victor which is exciting. Next time, we will lose another one of our Warriors. Tune in to see which pair will be fighting next.**


	32. Lethe

**Happy (Late) Holidays. Whatever, you celebrate, I hope you had fun and if yesterday was just a normal day for you, I hope it was a pretty rad day. I got a lot of teddies, sweets and a Vikings boxset. T'was a good day.**

 **I planned for this to be posted Christmas Eve but what can you do. Turned out I was busy on those days. But anyway, my Christmas gift to you is a video I made. Not groundbreaking but I kept me amused for a few hours. It is a Trailer for my next story. You can find it at:**

 **resurrectionhgDOTweeblyDOTcom/**

 **I hope you enjoy that, be sure to let me know what you think. There are elements from all my stories but Realism in this. If you have any questions, just PM me.**

 **Right, this chapter, we see two more Warriors fight and see how our other Warriors are doing in The Arena. Again, don't skip to the bottom and enjoy.**

* * *

 **23 hours and 15 minutes left.**

* * *

Sunbeam sat down against one of the hedges, the red cape protecting her skin from the harsh sand. In her hand, she held an arrowhead, a heart-shaped arrowhead and sighed. She was never confident with a bow and she was confused as to why The Gamemakers would give her such a useless weapon.

With a groan, she placed her head back so she could see the overly bright moon and stars. They had only been in the Arena just over an hour so it was hard to know if the sun would ever rise but Sunbeam, despite her namesake, was not too concerned about it. It was bright enough that she could see and warm enough that the darkness did not pose a threat. She was fine staying with this level of darkness for the next few days.

"I don't know, I honestly don't!" A loud voice broke the silence. She turned her head so she was facing Veyron and Nero who argued over which direction to go in. Veyron had got them lost but it was not like she could blame the boy, it was not his field of expertise. "I know I have seen that wall before, though," he said sternly, pointing towards a hedge that cornered them in.

Nero rubbed his temples as he paced. "Right, so we have seen that before, we are getting somewhere, so where do we go?"

"I don't know!" Veyron squeaked, causing Nathalie to roll her eyes at him. He looked over and scowled before turning back to the crude map he had drawn in the sand.

"No I can't, they need me," this voice was different and entirely out of context enough for Sunbeam to look towards the owner. She found Venus talking to the floor, her back turned to the group. Even with a craned neck, the blonde girl was unable to work out what her ally was speaking to. So, with a huff, the girl pulled herself to her feet and shuffled over to Venus.

"What you got there?" Sunbeam asked, causing the girl to jump. Dropping the small thing she held in her hand. Sunbeam followed the small golden mass and smiled. There, looking startled on the ground was a small, golden mouse. Large silver horns growing out of its head. It had back legs like a kangaroo, hopping forward to get a better look at Sunbeam.

The girl had seen them about before but never thought to pick them up like Venus had. "I didn't know they were tame-"

"They say to put them down-" Venus was too late as with a shattering shriek, Sunbeam threw the mouse across the clearing, the small creature vanishing into the hedge. Venus looked at the blood that trickled down the girl's hand from the bite the mouse had caused. "Sunbeam, I'm-"

"Leave it," Sunbeam said with an unsure voice, turning to Coutille who ran over, a small bag of bandages in hand.

* * *

They were lost. Every twist and turn ending in the same wall blocking their path. It was almost like they were going in circles, even if Belinda's salt trail showed they were heading in a straight line. While the other girls and Damon talked among themselves, becoming more agitated with every blocked pathway, Evelyn trailed behind, her spear held by her side. Her eyes stayed narrowed as they darted around the Arena, taking notice of every hedge they passed.

After an hour of walking, Belinda stopped, her chest rapidly moving with frustration. Her brown eyes flickered over to the rest of her group before looking at the long winding path before her. "I swear, this was the right way," she whimpered, the anger cracking her voice.

"It's okay," Damon sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair. "I don't think there was a right way, to begin with." Damon himself sounded more broken than lost. He had not been dating for a long time but he still felt empty without Vulcan. His heart felt torn between grieving for his lost boyfriend and working on surviving. Right now, he could not find it in himself to give more than the brief words of encouragement to Belinda.

"Great," Shelly growled, crossing her arms. "I just hope Nero is doing better than us."

"Oh, I am sure he is," Nathalie giggled. "You know, he is one of my biggest regrets."

A small grin spread on Shelly's face as he looked over to a scowling Evelyn. "What do you mean by...regret?"

Nathalie blushed slightly. "I should have done him before all this. I mean, if I was in his group, I'd be trying to do him now...after all, he would be broken about Annabella and I think he might be into me because-"

Nathalie was interrupted by Evelyn stabbing her spear into the ground with force, her lips pierced. "Climb that hedge," the dark-haired girl said, gesturing towards the wall behind her.

"B-but why-"

"If you get to the top, we will be able to see the exit."

"But it's so high, you need a good climber like Grover-"

"Well that little weasel isn't here, is he?" Belinda shuddered at these words, the broken trust coming back to haunt her.

Nathalie looked around for backup but when no one spoke up, she walked up to the hedge and started to climb. It was easier than she thought, the thick branches that made up the hedge making it easy to clamber up. About eight feet of the ground, her foot snagged on something. However, when the girl went to move her foot, the grip became tighter.

"Fuck off-Argh!" with a shriek, the grip on her foot slung the girl forward, throwing her from the hedge and by Evelyn's feet, a small, vengeful smile playing on her lips.

The group looked on in fear as the hedge started to shake, a deep, growling noise coming from within. One after the other, the other hedges started to shake until they moved around the group, blocking off the final pathway and opening up a new one.

"What was-"

"Just as I thought," Evelyn sighed, pulling free her spear and walked towards the new path. "The arena is working against us...there is an exit but don't expect to come out unscathed." Evelyn looked back at Nathalie who lay on the floor, cradling her broken arm through tears.

"You broke it-" A spear flew at the girl, landing only a few feet away from her. Evelyn stormed over, pulling her weapon from the earth and kneeling down beside her ally.

"Nero would never be interested in you...he isn't that type of man," Nathalie mumbled a small apology as Evelyn stood up and started to walk away. "Now come, we are wasting time, we will not sleep, rest or relax until that exit is found!" and with that, the girl walked off, her group trailing behind. As Nathalie hobbled after them, she noticed a bore watching Evelyn vanished into the distance from within the shadows of the hedge.

* * *

As Clarissa walked out from her chamber, her side silently cheering for her, she was able to look past the sand in her sandals and focus on a shivering Berik. His blue eyes looked her in the eyes as she stopped a few feet away from him, her body ready to charge.

He looked around at the crowd, tears running down his cheeks before looking back at his target. "We don't have to kill if we don't want to," he said, looking the freckled girl in the eye. "We can stand together."

"No," Clarissa said with a sigh, dismissing Berik's offer. "If we don't fight, they will kill us both just in time for the next pair to kill each other...this is the only way we are getting out of here." Tears started to form in Berik's eyes as he stomped his foot on the floor.

"This is bullshit-"

"It's what we trained for, maybe if you attended class more, you would know that."

"I could say the same about you," Berik chuckled, bringing a smile to the girls face.

"Look, if you win, can you promise you won't kill Sunbeam?" Clarissa asked, her voice cracking.

Berik gave a nod. "I promise...tell me, how is Annabella?"

"Frightened and missing Nero, not that different from the rest of us...do you want to say something to her before we fight?" Clarissa asked, a warm smile forming on her lips.

Berik nodded sadly before Clarissa gestured for the blonde boy to walk past her and towards the gate was Annabella stood with Ares, Tore and Maurice, their faces still tear stained from Loretta's sudden death. The crowd around him started to chatter among themselves, some even shouting at them to fight in frustration.

"Annabella," he asked the frightened girl. "I am sorry I broke you and Nero up...I don't know who started the rumor or made those photos but I know Nero would never have believed it if I didn't love you so much." The girl stiffened up at these words. "I love you but Nero got there first and if I hadn't have hung onto the notion that you might one day love me in return, someone couldn't have lied about us and made me lose a friend, you and make the public place us in here."

Berik looked away, tears started to form in his eyes but he turned back to the blue-haired girl. "I killed the girl I love-AGH!" The crowd jumped at Berik shrieks as Clarissa kicked him in the shin, causing his leg to buckle. Before the boy had a chance had time to pull himself back up, Clarissa once again kicked him in the knee but this time shattered it, pulling broken, pained sobs from the boy's throat.

While he was distracted, the girl moved around, kicked the boy in the face, rolling him into his back but also breaking the skin on the right side of his face.

As she jumped in the air, she felt weightless, the silent world slowing down as she raced through the air. She even noticed the second Berik registered what was going on, his arms attempting to shield his face but it wasn't his face she was aiming for.

As her feet came into contact with his chest, she felt each one of his rib bones shatter and crack, sending shards of bone into his vital organs. As she toppled over, falling onto the floor beside the Warrior, his screams quickly turned into fountains of blood that sprayed from his mouth.

Caught in a sea of fear, Berik quickly started to roll himself over so he was facing Annabella but each small movement drove the shards deeper into his heart. "Annie-" he said through broken lungs and his own blood. "W-win." and with those words, the head he had been holding up dropped to the floor with a crack. However, the boy did not react. In fact, he stayed awake for another minute, his breathing little to none, not blinking or reacting to the world around him. Only opening his mouth slightly to let some of the blood trickled out. However, the Warriors couldn't take their eyes off the brain-dead boy until he took his final, broken breath and his cannon sounded. Then their attention turned to Clarissa.

"You killed a man after you promised him the chance for final words," Tore spat with hate when the girl entered the cell. She looked over at the dark-skinned boy and frowned, her hand covered in blood.

"He was a fool for trusting me, all it taught me was that having anyone you love in these Games just lowers your chances," she growled, sensing she was no longer welcome with her teammates so sitting opposite from their huddle.

"Would you have done the same if it was Sunbeam on the other side of the gate?" Annabella asked, her voice pained.

Clarissa couldn't answer, casting her eyes to the ground as she thought about her girlfriend, knowing she would have said much more than Berik did.

"So don't ever call a man a fool for saying his goodbyes to a loved one again," Ares growled, his palms bleeding from the scratches he had caused with his own nails. "Everyone here has a weakness whether we like it or not and that weakness is someone else."

* * *

 **23rd Place-Berik Mathews, District 12, killed by Clarissa Silvia, District 11** **Poor Berik was a victim of my poor handling. His bounty hunter self could have been far more interesting if I gave him more time to express himself. However, he would never have been a victor, too arrogant and lacking in sincerity. Given a different style Games, he would have been amazing to write. R.I.P Berik, you didn't deserve the hand I dealt you with this story and I am sorry. Annabella and Nero will miss you despite the lies that were spread about you and Clarissa will never be the same after killing you.**

 **Until next time, have fun!**


	33. The Walking Dead

"They are going to kill you," one mouse who sat on Venus' knee sighed. "We have looked all around, there is not exit." Venus though about the golden mouse's words as she looked at her arguing group, Nero becoming agitated that they had no made a move in two hours. The only person close to her was Veyron but the boy was leaning against the hedges, sleeping.

She turned back to the horn rodents and grunted. "They will come after me if I leave."

The lead mouse, who introduced himself as Apollo, cocked his small head to the side. "But they will be too busy trying to find the exit, has anybody gone after Grover?" Venus gave an understanding nod, allowing Apollo to let out a small squeak before continuing. "If you leave now, by the time they realise they won't get out, you could be at the other end of the Arena." With those final words, the mouse jumped from Venus' lap and towards the hedge. Just before entering he turned around to face the dark haired girl. "Just do something before time runs out, you are the only competitor I have left, now."

The words rung in Venus head as she tried to figure out what the mouse meant by competitor, was he a representative of District Twelve? She thought about the project as she quietly collected her bags. However, as she shuffled towards the exit, a voice broke the silence.

"Where do you think you are going?" Nero asked, picking up his shield. Venus froze up, she knew Nero could not kill her just yet but that would not stop him from breaking both of her legs if needs be.

Before she could answer, Veyron walked over to her, his own bag slung over his shoulder. "We are just going to get some firewood, we need to cook that rabbit me and Coutille caught...I saw some olive trees not too far from here."

Nero narrowed his eyes at the pair before his expression softened. "Okay, just back here quickly and don't get lost," he said with a dismissive smile. The pair gave a quick nod before vanishing around one of the hedges. The pair walked for a few minutes until Venus turned Veyron.

"What are you doing-"

"The mice, they told you to leave, didn't they?" Venus' eyes widened.

"You can hear them too?" she whispered. Veyron shook his head.

"No, but the stork does-"

"The stork?"

"Ah, so you can't hear him either," Veyron sighed. "There is a stork in the hedge that speaks to me, tells me to leave...I just thought I was going nuts but-"

"What is his name?" Venus asked.

"Hermes."

"That is a strange name-"

"He is a stork that speaks, his name has no effect on me," Veyron laughed but when he noticed Venus' series expression, his face dropped.

"Look, Veyron," Venus sighed, slipping her hand into her pack and curling it around an arrow. "I don't want to ally...I…I need to go alone."

Veyron looked down at the ground with sadness. He never truly knew Venus but he did not want to be either. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

* * *

Damon watched Nathalie from out the corner of his eyes, still sobbing as she held her arm. It wasn't broken but severely dislocated. However, when the blonde boy looked at his ally, he just saw a weak link. It felt cruel to think such a thing but Nathalie was never a nice person and that was the way of The Hunger Games. However, he knew Evelyn would never agree to it.

The girl had been out of character for the past few hours, her mindset of finding a way out of the Labyrinth. Damon figured to her, it was a way for Nero to live as well as her. She would never die for the boy but he was worth playing leader if it meant they could both live. With Annabella out of the way, it was the perfect chance for her to make a move. With Nero being such a caring person, he might be touched by Evelyn finding the exit.

Whatever her reason was for the fixation on saving everyone, it was starting to get on Damon's nerves. The Arena was working against them yet Evelyn forced the group to press on, seeing even an hours rest as too much time wasted. There was always something better around the next corner for the dark haired girl but even she must have been able to see that there was no way more than one person was ever making it out of the deadly Arena.

Damon's train of thought was broken when a growl broke out from one of the hedges. Damon looked up, expecting someone else to have heard it but the group moved on without a worry. The blonde boy paused, his eyes drifting own the hedge until they fell on a rotten hand, clenching at the sandy earth. This hand was quickly joined by another one and then a mauled, rotten face that growled as it pulled itself free from the hedge.

"Guys!" Damon yelped as he jumped away from the mutt. The group, who by now was a few feet away pulled their weapons free at the site.

"Kill it then!" Evelyn snarled at Damon. The boy quickly pulled free his sickled and swung it at the mutt, cutting the head clean off. However, by Nathalie's feet, the body-less head continued to snarl at the group, even after the girl kicked it back into the hedge.

Damon looked up at the group, only for his skin to go cold. Behind them, emerging from the hedges was at least twenty snarling, rotting humans. "Look-"

"Damon!" Belinda bellowed, causing the boy to whip around, only to see at least fifteen more mutt's shuffling towards him. They all looked like they had been dead the same amount of time but some didn't have a single wound on their body while some had axe's lodged in their head.

The boy turned to run back towards his group but the girls were already overwhelmed, their bodies hidden behind the large crowd. Damon held his sickled ready, swinging it at the first mutt that approached him. However, the blonde mutt grabbed the weapon midair and pulled the boy closer.

Damon watched as the other mutts moved past him without giving him a second glance. Expect this one. He looked into it's cloudy, blood-filled eyes and felt for the first time like he was going to be sick. It was Berik.

Sure, he was nothing more than a rotting flesh, his chest caved in and dried blood was splattered over his clothes but Damon couldn't mistake the boy he grew up with.

"Berik-"

"Your Godly sponsor, Hades favors you." I raised an eyebrow at the Berik. I was not sure if Hades was the name of a Capitolite that sponsored me but I was going to have a hard time believing they were a God.

"And why is that?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Berik used his free hand to point towards Nathalie who held her broken arm. Like me, the mutts pushed passed her, their focus on the rest of our alliance. I still had a thousand questions on the matter but I felt frozen as I allow Berik to push past me, dragging his right leg behind me.

He told me I was safe but for some reason I couldn't help but swing my sickle, slicing his head off at an odd angle. He looked up at me, he body still but face still very much alive. "I am trying to help you," he growled. He sounded like Berik and looked like him too. But it wasn't him. Berik died along with Vulcan when he was eliminated. Vulcan was the only one who could save me and by the looks of it, he was no longer here.

I moved past Berik's head and towards the group that had slaughtered most of the mutts. I didn't recognize most of them aside from one more. Loretta. Her torso was separate from her body but she still moved towards Evelyn with her arms, a determined look on her face.

I should have said something to warn Evelyn but when I opened my mouth, nothing broke free. Only the image of my childhood friend cutting me down. I would be nothing but something that stood in the way of her victory, she wouldn't give me a second thought. So I stayed silent as I watched Loretta, even with her lopsided head, quickly grabbed onto her ankle and sunk her broken teeth into the girl's legs.

I only realized what I had done when Evelyn gave out a terrified scream.

As quick as thunder, Belinda reacted, slamming her golden staff into Loretta's head. It took two hits to dislodge the mutt than a further three more to kill her. When her body became stiff, Evelyn limped away.

She moved near me, the leather of her sandals protecting her Achilles tendon but Loretta had broken skin. She looked up at me at me and for the first time since the start of the Games, I saw fear. "I'll be fine," she quickly declared and slowly rising to her feet.

The group and I shared a look among each other and I knew we were all thinking the same thing. We had seen zombie movies, we knew how this ended.

* * *

Tore inhaled deeply when he saw Marzio exit the cells adjacent to his own. The boy's shaggy black hair had been crudely styled into a short undercut and the boy walked over to him with an odd sense of confidence.

He stopped a few feet in front of the nervous Tore and sighed, clearly trying to hold back the tears in his brown eyes.

"You know, back in the Tribute housing, I used to keep fighter fish, the ones with the large tails?" Marzio asked as he started to walk around Tore, the boy also moving so his back was never turned. The two quickly started to circle each other. Tore knew of the fish Marzio talked about, the Warriors used to purchase them, twenty-four and wait for the fish to kill each other, the winner got all of their paychecks for that week.

"I do, you always had the winning fish," Tore said with a nod.

Marzio gave a sad smile, his body relaxing slightly. "Do you know why I liked that fish?" he asked Tore. The boy didn't answer. "Because it was the smartest fish. It used to wait until the other fish had fought themselves to exhaustion, then it would attack...that is why mine always won."

Tore raised his eyebrow at the boy. "Why bring this up?"

"Because the same applies here, most victors from these battles will be too worn out by the final few, which means in the final round, they won't make us kill each other, we would all be too weak." He stiffened up, stopping in his place as Tore edged forward. "I suggest we make this fight quick, give the victor a better chance at victory-"

"That would mean one of us wanted to die," Tore pointed out as he looked Marzio in the eye.

"It was worth a shot-" Marzio caught Tore's fist when it was just inches from his face before swiftly twisting it until it popped. The dark head boy let out a shriek as he cradled his dislocated arm.

Marzio circled him, an empty look in his eyes like he had become numb to the situation. "I wasn't lying about the final round, y'know." Tore looked up at him through tears as Marzio yanked his other arm away from the boy's body, dislocating it like the other.

Tore's arms dropped dead by his side as he allowed a blood-curdling scream to escape him. "Please-"

"I got the short end of the deal being sorted into Electrical Engineering, of course, the District Three boy would get that. Nero uses his skill to throw a spear through someone, you use yours to clambering through the trees like a monkey, no one gives a shit. Second I use my skill to survive, well, I get thrown in this place-"

The boy fell silent as Tore jumped to his feet and charged at him. Sadly, despite being a warrior, Tore was better at defensive moves rather than aggressive. So, Marzio quickly grabbed his right leg that Tore went to kick him with a twisted it until that too dislocated.

"Just kill me already!" Tore screamed in anger as he used his only working leg to pushed away from Marzio.

Marzio closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath before looking back at Tore, cracking his neck. Tore felt nothing but fear as he looked into Marzio's eyes. It was like the boy he had grown up with was gone, replaced with a robot who only answered to what he was told.

"Okay, I thought I'd just disarm you first," and with that Marzio look a step forward, right onto Tore's bent left leg.

The leg shattered underneath the boy's weight but Tore had little time to scream as, within seconds, Marzio had his large but skinny hands around his necks. Unable to move his limbs, Tore resorted to pushing his chest forward but Marzio did not budge.

He looked up into Marzio's teary eyes as the boy took the life out of him. "I never wanted to kill you," he said through gritted teeth to Tore. "That is how the Games are played and I am sick of being the smart kid who doesn't stand a chance. Like that fighter fish, I will play their stupid Game but I will play to win."

Marzio might have whispered more to Tore but the boy wouldn't have heard as not long after these words, his vision began to blue and he faded to black. A few seconds later, his canon sounded and Marzio realized his grip.

 _Win Coutille._ These were the final words that flashed into his brain. The last thought he would ever have.

* * *

The strike form Janae's foot in her face sent Annabella flying backward into the ground, winded. Janae watched as the girl rolled over, a splatter of blood spurting from her mouth, along with a few teeth. The girl had put up a good fight but she was never the strongest and Janae hadn't trained all of her life to be killed by the weakest link.

With a scream, Janae slammed her food into the girl's thigh, making Annabella whimper as she turned on her back. Just as the blue-haired girl started to struggle to her feet, Janae kicked her down again, this time breaking her nose.

Annabella lay on the ground, crying softly to herself as he vision warped in and out. She felt helpless, utterly defeated. She _was_ the weakest link and even she knew there was no way she would make it back to Nero. Maybe it was for the best, she was not sure he wanted to see her anymore. It was not like they could win either, she would just hold him back. And Berik. He was a kind guy, Nero's friend but she watched him beaten down like he was nothing. She was almost sure the crowd had forgotten about him just like they would her. Maybe not in a year but by the time the victor celebrated their twenty-first birthday, she would be nothing more than a dead girl.

Maybe that is why she did not move when Janae's foot slammed into her face once more, the pain and cracking of her skull causing the girl to scream out in pain. Janae did it again, her own tears messing up her view of Annabella. This time, the older girl didn't scream, she just whimpered. The third time, she fell silent.

Overall, it took three more stomps for Annabella's head to cave in and for her cannon to sound.

Annabella's final wish was that Nero would find happiness. What she did leave was a broken, sobbing Janae, full of regret and disgust at the blood that was splattered over her body.

* * *

 **22nd Place- Tore Dante- Strangled by Marzio Omiros (D3)**

 **Tore was a bit strange. He was a pinning guy who was in love with a rebel. Going to lengths to impress the girl. This girl turned out to be Coutille and his attempts to impress her are what got him thrown into the elimination. Snow did notice him behind the dumpster and knew he had knowledge about Snow poisoning his opponents. Tore was a sweet guy who was out of place among the Warriors. R.I.P Tore.**

* * *

 **21st Place-Annabella Giada-Head kicked in by Janae Rayon (D9)**

 **As these fights go on, they will become harsher as the Warriors come to terms with killing their friends. They only have themselves as a weapon so they use it in any way they can. Sadly, this was not Annabella's strong point. Annabella was always written to be the weak link. She was never popular among the Capitol and she was one of the few that was voted in just for being unpopular. Even in a normal Arena, she would not have lasted long. She was a sweet girl who Nero will miss more than anyone and I can assure you that Nero never stopped loving her and would have stuck by her side until the end. Even with the lie about her and Berik. R.I.P Annabella.**

 **So, we are down to the final twenty. We have Vulcan Vs Ares and Romilda Vs Maurice next chapter. That will be the end of our first round. We then have the six victors fighting it out, one on one and then, the grand final. After that, we have our victor and will be in the final thirteen.**

 **I think this story has about 12 chapters left until we get out the victor? I am not sure. I have only a small number of people it could be at the moment.**

 **What did you think of the chapter and who do you think the victor is going to be? I am interested to hear your answers.**

 **Until next time!**


	34. And Then There Were Eighteen

**I moved back and settled into University life again so more chapters will be on the way. In this chapter, we have the final two battles of the first round, so you get to vote for the next three people to die.**

 **I hope you enjoy. Also, random bit of news, I have got the draft of the Resurrection Games sorted as well as the blog. Sadly, I might have to do two. The next story is very odd and I understand not everyone will be able to submit their Tributes. If a lot gets cut out, I will do a second Resurrection Games so everyone has a chance. We will see how things go. Enjoy.**

* * *

Evelyn wanted to keep the group moving, open wound or not but Belinda did not agree. There was little chance infection could take effect in such a short about of time and it would only further her own chances if Evelyn fell ill. However, Belinda believed the group had a chance of finding the exit. She didn't want their leader falling ill.

Evelyn watched as Belinda tipped some rubbing alcohol onto her cape and placed the soaking fabric over the wound. Evelyn gritted her teeth from the pain but anything was better than the burning sensation the wound itself gave.

When Belinda removed the cape and started to wrap a clean bandage around it, Evelyn frowned. "You know," she said with a sigh. "If there was something in that bite, it is already in the bloodstream."

The sighed Belinda gave told Evelyn that she already believed that was what had happened. That some zombie virus was racing through his veins. It was something Evelyn feared.

"Well, hopefully, we will be out before anything happens," she said with a sweet optimism Evelyn admired. However, the girl was not sure she sheared Belinda's hope. Evelyn was starting to believe that there was little chance more than one person would make it out alive. Not even Nero.

"Thank you," she said softly, allowing a sincere smile to spread across her face. Belinda grinned in reply but Evelyn could see the defeat in her eyes. "Don't let him get to you-"

"Who?"

"Grover." Evelyn sighed. "He's a piece of shit and you shouldn't lower your chances weeping over him."

Belinda thought about her words for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "I allowed myself to trust a boy again and they broke my heart-"

"You need a guy to win the Hunger Games," Evelyn chuckled.

"What about Nero?" Belinda asked. Evelyn stiffened up.

"I care a lot about Nero, more than you would understand...but I wouldn't give up my chance of victory for him." She said this with a broken tone like it was a reality she did not want to face. "Plus, what would be a better kick in the teeth for Grover than to see the girl, the girls whose heart he broke, plunging a knife into his heart?" Evelyn grinned.

Belinda chuckled as she finished tying the bandage. "Why are you helping me when you want to win so bad?" she asked the dark-haired girl.

Evelyn gave a shrug. "Let's just class it as a thank you for cleaning my wound."

* * *

At the end of their conversation, it was either Veyron left Venus or she broke his legs and left him there. Neither was what Veyron really wanted but it was clear which one he should do. So he left.

He was not sure where he was going, he just took the path the hedges left open for him. Wherever he asked, Hermes the stork did not come to his aid. He had been left alone and he was now too far away from Nero to find his way back.

"Hermes, I'm lost," he sighed. "If your adorable storky-backside could come help-Argh!" Veyron screamed as a figure pulled him around the corner and threw him to the ground. When Veyron looked up, he saw Grover holding a spear to his face.

"Is anyone else with you?" Grover asked, Veyron quickly shook his head.

"It's just me, I swear." Grover gave an understanding nod and pulled away from the boy, walking back over to his camp by the olive tree.

"Be on your way," the boy said dismissively as he sat back down, pulling a small clump of bread free from the loaf.

"Don't you want to ally?" Veyron blurted out. "I thought we were friends."

"You're alright," Grover said with a mouthful. "You don't win the Games by making friends-"

"You don't win without allies either." This seemed to catch Grover attention, his startling blue eyes flickering up to the tall boy. "I don't class myself as a friend of yours but neither of us will last long without an ally."

Gover gave a nod. "Okay, but we don't stay together past the final five, understood?" Grover grunted, pointing to the smiling boy.

Veyron replied in an excited nod. "One question, why did you take other people's packs?"

"Why?" Grover grinned. "How much water, weapons, and food do you have left?" the dark haired boy asked.

"Half a bottle of water, about half a loaf of bread and this," Veyron answered, holding up his weapon. It was a staff with two snakes wrapped around ending just before two great wings.

Grover smirked. "I have two bottles of water, three loaves of bread, two spears, a pretty staff, care to join me?"

* * *

Ares pushed against Vulcan, both boys evenly matched. However, with every passing second, Ares' feet were starting to move away from his body. Any attempt he could make to regain his balance would result in Vulcan being able to overpower him. So he stayed, hoping Vulcan would give up before he did.

Vulcan, on the other hand, noticed the boys weak movements and put all of his strength into one more push. This push made the boys feet slip from beneath him, forcing him to the floor.

Once the dark-skinned boy was on the ground, the dust around him still settling, Vulcan pulled Ares to his feet and dragged him towards the sandstone walls that circled them. Ares tried to get away but Vulcan had always been stronger than him. So, with a cry, he grabbed the Ares by the head and forced it into the wall.

Ares shrieked as he allowed his body to fall to the ground and out of Vulcan's grip. The dark haired boy bent down to pick him again, this time by his shoulders and slammed him against the wall again.

The third time, Ares pushed against him, knowing that his skull wouldn't take much more, every ounce of strength the boy had forcing his head towards Vulcan.

It was no use, Vulcan was far stronger than him. So Ares turned his attention to Vulcan's neck. Afterall, if he could not push him off, he would make him let go.

The dark skinned boy was not sure what was going through his head when he snapped at Vulcan's throat, his teeth sinking into his skin. If fact, he was not sure what emotion he was feeling other than the feeling of regret when he jerked his head away pulling away a large chunk of flesh with him.

The moment Vulcan's thick red blood splattered on his face and trickled down his throat, the Ares vomited over Vulcan's pained face. Which most likely only added insult to injury.

As Ares stomach contents tore its way through Ares' throat, Vulcan stumbled backward, blood flowing out of the open wound on his neck like a water feature. He allowed Ares to go and fell onto his back, his eyes wide in shock.

Ares glanced up, his body still shivering from the act of ripping out the boy's throat. The crowd screams and gasp did not help his conscious as he watched the boy he had known since he was a child dying in front of him. Vulcan's hands clawing at his neck in an attempt to stop his body from bleeding out.

It didn't help. Vulcan cannon sounded a few minutes later, the crowd's attention turning to Ares, who sat still, in a state of shock. Ares just didn't want to die.

* * *

Nero was not happy about his situation. He only had three allies left and they had lost their guide, Veyron. Not to mention that Sunbeam was becoming ill, even if she tried to hide it. She had been moving slower, requesting breaks and she had gained a sore throat. It was nothing she should worry about, it seemed like she had just caught a cold before entering the Arena. However, in a race against the clock, she was starting to become a drag.

If Sunbeam was enough, he felt like he was keeping a constant eye on Balina. The girl had seemed uneasy since Venus and Veyron left and Nero was sure the moment he turned his back, the girl would have run away. The same went for Coutille. It seemed Nero had been lumbered with a group who did not want to fight for the exit anymore.

Nero would have given up too if it wasn't for one person. Annabella. She was eliminated but part of Nero still believed she would be alive. After all, if everyone got to live, that meant Annabella too. Just the chance to win his love back from death was worth the constant walking a refusal of sleep.

He didn't truly believe that she cheated on him. Now he was away from everything and his mind was clear, he could see that. His biggest regret was not spending his final night with her. But he would make it up to her, the only way to do that would be to free her from being eliminated.

Maybe that's why he could not stop himself from smiling when he rounded the corner and found Evelyn's group, having a small rest. Twelve hours of being awake starting to get even Evelyn down.

The dark haired girl glanced up and returned the smile. Shelly, on the other hand, looked angered.

"Oh great, so neither of us is near an exit?" She growled, throwing her hands up in the air. Nathalie glared at her.

"We don't know that," Nathalie hissed, the whole group on thin ice with each other.

Shelly scoffed. "I knew we shouldn't have left Nero in charge of one of the groups," Shelly grumbled, rolling her eyes. Evelyn looked like she was about to punch the girl when Nero stepped in.

"We can't stay together, that's what they want...we will only find the exit if we work in two groups-"

"We don't have to be together to be working as one team," Evelyn pointed out, forcing herself to her feet with a tired yawn.

Nero cocked his head to the side. "How would that work?"

* * *

Maurice was not stronger than Romilda, the boy was a poster boy for strength and hand to hand combat. Yet, Maurice had overpowered him.

Romilda did not even seem to put up a fight as Maurice knocked him off his feet with a predictable move. Even now, as the curly-haired boy dragged that tall boy to the edge of the arena, Romilda put up little resistance. Other than the odd sharp twists which Maurice was sure was instinctive.

Truth was, Romilda didn't want to fight anymore. After watching Loretta killed by Pallas, he felt lost. At that moment in time, death would have been a welcome event.

After all, even if he did win, what would be left for him? He would never be able to marry, they would pimp him out to anyone who could pay the price. He didn't even have a family to go back to.

The Warriors were his family and now they were killing each other. When they got home, they would be met by people they had not seen in ten years. Their families might not even like them. They might not be the children they wanted. Some family members may have even died.

Part of the blonde male wanted to explain this to the Maurice, to prove to him that none of it was worth fighting for. However, he did not want to force that reality onto the boy's shoulders. Romilda had a reason to die, he had someone on the other side waiting for him. Maurice didn't want to die so he would put himself in danger by being conflicted.

So Romilda stayed silent and allowed Maurice to slam his head into the walls. It was hard not to cry through the pain, most of all when Maurice took breaks to whimper his apologies. However, Romilda welcomed death when it came. The sweet release from being a Warrior.

* * *

 **20th Place- Vulcan Omiros, District Eleven, Throat Ripped Out By Ares Walker.**

 **Vulcan was easy to write and with his love for natural beauty, he would have enjoyed the Arena. I was a bit apprehensive when I saw his form as it was very centered around his sexuality and I didn't want him to just become the gay Warrior. However, I am glad I was able to write him so the other things that made him up shone through too. I enjoyed writing his and Damon's relationship. Although Damon does not show it, his heart is breaking. R.I.P Vulcan.**

 **19th Place-Romilda Vasilios, District Ten, Head Bashed In By Maurice Powers.**

 **I was honestly shocked when I found out people had voted for Romilda to die so early. I thought he would have been more popular. Then again, it worked out. After Loretta's death, he saw little point in fighting. He was right, if he had won, he would have been pimped out around The Capitol, it was not a quality of life he wanted. If he had tried, he would have won against Maurice. His skill was hand to hand combat but sadly (good for Maurice), Romilda wanted to go. R.I.P Romilda, I was a sucker for your character but you death had furthered Maurice.**

* * *

 **NOW! It is voting time again! Like last time, you are voting for who you want to survive the next round.**

 **The groups are:**

 **(Chosen at random)**

 _ **-Maurice vs Janae**_

 _ **-Ares vs Clarissa**_

 _ **-Marzio vs Pallas**_


	35. Notice

**A short chapter that acts as a notice. I have been having some bad personal problems at the moment. My boyfriend of a year and a half broke up with me and I have waves of feeling hopeless and lost. Due to this, I have not been in the mood to do anything in regards to the site. This was written around the same time my last update was. That is how long it has been waiting for me to complete it. I cleaned it up a bit and will publish a small section.**

 **I am going to try and write some more but I can't promise I will be active for a bit. I have to live with him still so I am just not handling it well. I averaging at about one meal a day and I honestly can't keep track of how little I drink. It takes everything inside of me to pull myself out of bed in the morning so I need to focus on the things that keep me alive, this story comes second.**

 **I ain't leaving it or putting it on hiatus, I just wanted you all to know why the updates were slow and why I have not been active on the site. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think.**

* * *

Evelyn shuddered as she peeled the bandage back, exposing her wound. It was green, the jagged flesh around it was black and rotten and it was leaking puss. It was infected. Evelyn could feel the true seventeen-year-old bubbling up inside of her. Not the teenager who was a strong warrior, the girl who was frightened that everything she had worked towards could be lost because of bacteria.

Belinda shook as she looked at the wound, her eyes wide. "The infection...it shouldn't have developed this quickly," she said in a shaky, hushed voice.

Evelyn took a sharp intake of breath as she turned her attention to the sky. "How long before it is deadly?"

Belinda shook her head. "I don't know for sure but I know it will be in the bloodstream by now. At the rapid speed, it is moving...about thirty hours."

Evelyn gave an understanding nod. "I still have time then-"

"Time for what?"

Evelyn looked over at Nero and sighed. "To find this stupid exit." Belinda did not reply, dropping her head low, she understood Evelyn's intentions, finding that exit was the only way she would come out of the Arena alive. "Now, hide that thing, I have an announcement." The dark haired girl gave a quick nod and bandaged the wound up again. Once it was covered, Belinda tapped her leg and Evelyn stood up.

"Right, listen!" she bellowed as she dragged her leg along behind her. The rest of the Warriors turned to look at her, some more enthusiastic than others. "This Arena is clearly built to work against us but I _know_ there is an exit-"

"How?" Shelly grumbled, raising an eyebrow.

Nero crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you think they are showing to the audience back home? There has to be an endgame otherwise no one would want to watch this exercise."

Evelyn clicked her fingers a smile forming on her lips. "Correct, so if we split up, it will be harder for the Arena to block us all off. The harder it becomes to move in a direction, the closer we are to finding this exit."

* * *

Marzio felt weak as he once again moved into the circular arena. However, Pallas looked worse, his head hung low and eyes brimming with tears. After Romilda had been killed, the groups had been scrambled once more, Pallas was no longer on his team, he was his opponent.

Marzio did not feel fear, though. He felt confident that he would turn back around and walk away without a kill. When Pallas pulled free the vial from his pocket, Marzio's hopes were confirmed.

Pallas looked up at Marzio as he tipped the clear liquid into his mouth and threw the glass vial on the floor. Marzio had pocketed it for himself to take it things got painful but after seeing how broken Pallas was after killing Loretta, he decided the boy needed it more than him, it was only luck that he and Pallas were up against each other.

He watched, gripping sword tightly as Pallas screamed out in pain, clutching his stomach as a white foam started to build up in the corners of his mouth. He looked at Marzio, tears forming in his eyes. "Do you think Loretta will forgive me?" he gurgled.

Marzio gave a nod. "I am sure she is waiting for you." At that moment, Pallas toppled over and started to fit on the ground. Marzio didn't stay and watch, grabbing his sword and turning around to face his cell. He waited until Pallas' cannon sounded and the gate opened.

* * *

 **18th Place: Pallas Narciso, District Ten, 17.**

 **Pallas was never a victor and I always hoped the votes would turn out this way so I could use this death. Pallas regretted his choices and what he did to Loretta, he was not a bad person, just a messed up on. If his mother had not been shot before his eyes, he may have turned out differently. R.I.P Pallas.**

 **Again, sorry for the time off I have been taking but I need to make sure I am alright otherwise, these stories won't get done anyway.**


	36. Then there were 15

**Random announcement, it has been a year since my first SYOT on this site, 24 to life. I am very proud of the improvement I have made and I hope you have enjoyed my stories over the past 12 months!**

 **First, I just wanted to say thank you to all the kind messages I got regarding my break up. I wasn't expecting them so I really warmed my heart. I am doing well, I will get through this.**

 **Second, I have a new SYOT up. Realism was canceled because I honestly did not have the love for it. I am not sure if I have any spaces left but feel free to read.**

 **Last of all, enjoy!**

* * *

Maurice felt cruel fighting against a small little girl like Janae. She looked so sweet with her childlike face as the glossy tears that spilled from her large eyes. Her dark hair was matted to give her the look of a feral child.

As Maurice looked at her, he felt the grip on his sword become lighter as he listened to her small whimpers. She stumbled forward, no weapon in hand.

"I don't want to fight anymore...I didn't mean to kill Annabella," she trailed off towards the end, her voice muffled by her arm that wiped away her snot. The crowd melted before the hurt girl and so did Maurice.

Janae was never the cruel type, she barely passed the exams they were given and walked out with a poor training score. Seeing her kill Annabella was truly out of character and her current reaction proved to the dark-haired boy that she was truly sorry.

"I'm sorry but only one of us can win-" Janae started to cry more violently, almost like she was angry at the reality she faced. She clenched her fists as she took a sharp intake of breath.

"I don't want to die-"

"Only one makes it out!" I snapped, not enjoying the situation any more than she was. I expected the girl to fall to her knees but instead, she just sighed. Her whimpers replaced with silent tears.

"Fine," she grumbled. Then, as fast as lightning, she threw something towards me, something silver. Something with a point that lodged in my head. I was dead almost instantly, slumping to the ground before falling sideways.

With the knife, Janae had told the world her true nature. Only the Warriors in the Arena were blind to it now. However, the tears were not all fake. Janae really did not want to fight Maurice or kill Annabella. She just wanted to live.

* * *

In all of her days, Coutille did not expect to see Veyron and Grover working with each other. Then again, no one expects Coutille to work with Balina.

The two girls had run into each other when Evelyn's plan went into action. The plan saw the Warriors cutting their ties with each other and scattering across the Arena to try and find the exit. Coutille saw no point. By this point, she had come to the conclusion there was no exit, that the Capitol was just watching them chase their tails. It seemed Balina agreed and one ally was more than most people had. Or so she thought.

It seemed Veyron and Grover had a similar idea, giving up the exit and focusing on getting prepared for when the twenty-four hours were up.

Veyron looked nervous as he held his staff tightly. Grover, on the other hand, looked bored, his spear within reach but still just calmly munching on his bread.

"You can't kill us," he mumbled after a few moments of silence. "No for another seven hours at least...are you really going to wait that long?"

Coutille stiffened up at his words. "Two fewer competitors does nothing but increase my odds." She hated herself for saying such a thing but even she knew it was just common sense. Grover would kill them both without a second thought, in seven hours, he was just playing the innocent party.

Grover shrugged at her words. "That doesn't sound like you, Coutille. I mean, you could leave us be, for now, rest for the next few hours. No doubt you two will then be the most energetic of the Warriors left."

Coutille knew he was right but his logic still made her blood boil. "Why are you giving me advice?" she growled.

"Because frankly, I don't want to stress about you killing me for the next seven hours and I'm sure you don't want the same. The Games are not just about killing y'know...they are also about making their smart choices."

Coutille looked over to Ballina who was partially hidden behind a hedge, her eyes wide with fear.

"Fine!" Coutille sighed, lowering her weapon. "But if I run into you again in eight hours, I can't promise I will show you mercy."

"I look forward to it!" Grover grinned as the girls walked past his camp and vanished once more into the labyrinth.

* * *

Ares and Clarissa swung their weapons at the same time, Ares' sickle lodging in the dark-haired girl's shoulder while her dagger sunk deep into his side. Both screamed and pulled away Ares letting go of his weapon to clutch his side as she screamed in fear.

It was fatal, he knew that much, the amount of blood that gushed from the small wound, Clarissa had hit an organ. He was a dead man walking but that did not mean he had to let Clarissa win just yet. There was still time to take her out, she was not in good health either.

As she pulled free the sickle, it was clear he had broken the bone, leaving her right arm useless. Not just that, the amount of blood that trickled down her arm. She was on the same path as Ares in term of blood loss. Sadly, Ares would have to make a fatal cut if he was to outlive her.

Clarissa looked him the eyes as she threw him back his sickle, not one for an unfair fight. It was with agonizing pain that Ares bent over to pick it up, still trying to keep the blood inside of his body.

Before he had time to recover, Clarissa was upon him once more, swinging her knife towards his neck. In a last-second attack, Ares swung his sickle at Clarissa's face, cutting off part of her ear and cutting open her cheek.

Clarissa stumbled away, letting go of her knife as she fell backward. She was unable to tell if her eyes balls were damaged due to the amount of blood that covered her face and arms. She didn't even notice the cannon until a set of Peacekeepers hurried out to fetch her. They wiped her eyes clean and pulled her to her feet, dragging her sobbing towards the cells once more.

On the way, she saw the still body of Ares, twisted, his face frozen in horror. His hands were still clinging to his throat, where Clarissa's knife was still lodged.

* * *

 **Your final three: Marzio (D3M), Clarissa (D11F) and Janae (D9F). Two girls, one boy. Who will win? Get voting for your victor of the One v One Games.**

 **17th Place, Maurice Powers, District One, 16**

 **Maurice, I was never able to get a hold of your personality and that is my fault. If you come back for my resurrection Games, I promise I will do better by you. He was stronger than Janae, she just caught him off guard. I figured Maurice was the type to show sympathy for Janae enough to let his guard down but also have come to terms with the fact he wanted to kill her. R.I.P Maurice.**

 **16th Place, Ares Walker, District One, 17**

 **Ares! I loved Ares. He was a talented Warrior and childlike. He was never a victor but I really hope I can write him in my resurrection Games. I love his love for sweets and childlike personality. He and Clarissa were well matched, both caused serious injury to each other. Just Ares died faster. R.I.P Ares!**

 **So, next chapter we have the final three fight and we are down to the final thirteen. I'm excited to see who you all pick. Also, remember to keep up to date with your sponsor points, they will come in handy soon!**

 **Until next time, have a good time!**


	37. Final 12

**Announcement!**

 **If you have reserved a spot in Venus, please get your characters in soon otherwise the spot will be opened once more.**

 **And now, the moment I have been waiting for, the final showdown! Who will win out of Janae, Marzio, and Clarissa? Is there an exit? Read on and find out! Let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Nathalie smiled as two hedges blocked Belinda's path. Not at Belinda's misfortune but at the fact she had yet to be cut off. The arena couldn't keep up with the scattered Warriors and was having trouble blocking all their paths. But there was one problem. She knew she wasn't running in the wrong direction. Nero ran in front of, quickly dodging hedges that tried to cut off his path.

"Nero!" Nathalie called breathlessly, The well-built boy grunted as he looked back at the girl who was starting to slow down. After running for half an hour, Nathalie was having to admit that her body was reaching its limits.

Her legs were starting to buckle from under her, her feet unable to keep to a straight path anymore. So, with worn out eyes, she looked up at Nero and frowned. "I can't do it anymore," she panted as she slowed down, rounding the corner. Nero glanced over his shoulder at the girl, her eyes wide and mouth hung open. "Nero!" she screamed, her voice hoarse.

At first, Nero thought Nathalie was alerting him to Evelyn who dragged her infected leg slowly behind her. Then he looked past her, to an opening in the labyrinth, circled by fog. Stood at either end of the opening were two Peacekeepers, guns held tightly.

A smile spread on Nero's face. "Evelyn!" he shouted to the dark haired girl, yet she only grunted in reply, her stubbornness propelling her towards the exit. For her, it was now a matter of life and death. Nero sighed as he turned to run but just as he did, something large ran at him from either side.

The dark haired boy stumbled back, falling to the sandy ground. He watched in horror as two large hedges blocked the path, Evelyn and the exit. They wanted to see Evelyn run for the exit with her infection. Just the thought made Nero's blood boil.

Evelyn understood the plan too but she did not feel anger, only the need to push herself to prove them wrong. There were no hedges to stop her now, and it was only a hundred meters. A distance Evelyn, a healthy Evelyn, could run in her sleep. Yet now, she dragging her body to the limits. Pulling her numb, swollen leg behind her, her lungs sore with illness and vision blurred from her puffy eyes. The only thing she could stay focused on the small amount of light that was in front of her.

Just then, a mechanical sound run through the Arena. Like a siren and a bright light, almost like the sun. She squinted at the lights. The most she could make out was that they were numbers. Single digit numbers.

It was then, despite all the pain, she forced herself on, pushing through the pain as she reached out her hand towards the exit, shuffling, inches away from freedom and victory.

"Five, Four, Three," as the Ryken started to speak these numbers, Evelyn flung herself at the opening in one last attempt to reach it.

"Two."

"One."

* * *

There were three doors that circled the gladiator arena, the sandy earth still bloodstained from the fallen. Marzio, Clarissa, and Janae were lead out individually from one of the three doors, being escorted to the center.

Each Warrior looked broken, holding a large, circular shield and spear tightly in their hand. Clarissa could barely stand, she had to be dragged to the center. She had been patched up well enough to survive her wounds but she was still yet to recover from the blood loss.

The three-eyed each other up but there was no battle to be had with each other, something that made Marzio smile. The three of them would be no fun to watch in the battle, Clarissa was almost dead and Marzio and Janae would not have been the most interesting battle. Both used their gift of outsmarting to win their battles, there was no such thing when facing each other.

Marzio looked towards the large, wooden doors that stood before him, the terrifying sounds of spears against shields on the other side. The shapes of humans clear from between the gaps in the shrunken wood.

"Welcome, Gladiators!" Ryken cheered, flashing his handsome smile at the Tributes. Neither of the three reacting, Marzio was straight, Clarissa was gay and dying and Janae just didn't care. "You have reached the final battle...a battle where we will say goodbye to all but one of you." The crowd whimpered, some people fake crying for the camera, a display Marzio visibly turned his nose up at. "To show our gratitude towards your loyalty for the Capitol by killing your friends, we are offering you a chance of freedom. If the three of you are able to kill everything we throw your way, we will let you walk free. However, if even one of you dies, only one will win and that person will still have to enter the Arena."

The crowd cheered on the offer but the Warriors felt sick to the stomach. They all knew it was a cruel twist to play with Clarissa in the condition she was in. The girl couldn't even stand, her knees buckling from under her as she fell to the ground. Janae knew that Ares would have fought with a more gentle touch if he knew her lack of health risked all three of their lives.

"Are we going for it?" Marzio asked as Ryken finished up his speech, holding his spear tightly.

Janae shrugged. "It's worth a shot. If one of us dies, doesn't really change anything than if we didn't try." Marzio smirked, offering his right hand, that was covered in a leather glove, towards Janae. The younger girl smiled, taking the boys hand in her ungloved one and shaking with far more strength than he expected.

The doors started to creak open, two peacekeepers pulling them open by strings. Marzio frowned, maneuvering around so he was stood over a shivering Clarissa, Janae followed suit. "Make sure whatever comes at us stays away from her, she is the weak link, they will target her first," Clarissa mumbled a protest to Marzio's plan but she could not hold her weapon, let alone form words.

The three Warriors turned towards the doors as they opened, the dusty air clearing to reveal nine well-known figures. Loretta, Pallas, Romilda, Ares, Annabella, Berik, Tori, Maurice, and Vulcan. Yet, their bodies were rotten, the wounds from their deaths crawling with maggots and the skin that clung to their bones were torn and rotten. Some, like Pallas, had missing eyes yet he still seemed to make eye contact with Marzio, a smirk forming on his crumbling lips.

"Watch out, Annabella and Ares will attack you...you killed them." Janae could not reply to Marzio in anything more than a nod, her eyes looking deep into the frosty ones of Annabella. She rubbed her hand against the edge of her shield as she looked on as the blue-haired girl snarled at her. Annabella's green tongue almost falling out of her rotten mouth as she let out a primeval battle cry.

The other eight followed suit, charging in unison towards the living Warriors, their various weapons thrust into the air. Marzio envied the fact that they held their preferred weapons while he was stuck with a spear. Then again, the boy was not sure how well electrical currents worked on the dead.

Some were faster than the others, Tori and Loretta being the first to reach the three. Just like Marzio had predicted, they went straight for Clarissa, Tori aiming his silver throwing star at the girl. Thankfully Clarissa had enough energy to pull the shield over her head, the weapon lodging in the wood.

Just as Tori got ready to throw enough star, Janae quickly broke away from the group, charging at the boy and throwing her spear into his eye. "Hit them in the head!" Janae shouted towards Marzio who was waiting for Loretta to come closer for him to attack her.

Seeing Clarissa was open, the blonde girl charged at her with a high pitch scream. Marzio left Clarissa open to thrust his spear at the girl, pushing it into her mouth and out the other side. Once her body had become still, Marzio kicked her from the end of his spear and ran back to guard Clarissa.

As he turned, she found Pallas, looking down at him, his empty sockets looking deep into Marzio's brown, almond-shaped eyes. The blonde male raised his sword but was unable to hit Marzio, instead slumping to the ground, a knife in the back of his head.

Janae smiled as she pulled the knife free and turned her attention back towards Clarissa who was growing weaker by the moment. Marzio jogged to joined her but by now, the other six dead Warriors had joined them and were attacking them from all areas.

Janae was taking on Romlida, Annabella, and Berik while I was faced with Vulcan. The dark haired male swung his sword at Marzio, the short boy ducking underneath his swing. In Vulcan's split second of loss concentration, Marzio jabbed the spear up towards Vulcan, piercing through his lower jaw and into his head.

As he kicked Vulcan's body away, he glanced over to Janae who was now a few feet away, straddling Annabella and stabbed her knife into girls head until she became still. Marzio noticed that Janae was using her gloved hand to fight and felt a pang of guilt flood his body.

"It burns!" Janae screamed through tears. "My hand burns-"

"Focus!" Marzio screamed as he looked around frantically for Clarissa. He found her trying her hardest to push Romilda away from her as he tried to pry the shield away from her. "Fuck off!" Marzio bellowed as he pulled the spear and threw it towards Romilda.

The weapon lodged itself in the boys head but it was too late. As he fell to the ground, Berik pushed his dagger into the back of Clarissa's head, her cannon sounded straight after. As the dark-haired Warrior's body slumped to the ground, Janae let out the most blood-curdling scream she could muster.

"What have you fucking done?" she screeched, holding her red, swollen hand tightly.

Marzio took a sharp intake of breath. "I couldn't risk you being full health," he said apologetically. Only now did Janae notice Marzio's leather glove that he shook her naked hand with was missing, discarded before the fighting even started. Then she remembered the darkest yet most overlooked thing about Marzio. He always trumped the Warriors when it came to poison and irritants. Marzio could make either in his sleep so he could make them in their current situation, he just needed the right contacts. Then she remembered Pallas' death by poison. How Marzio seemed so calm and ready for it, the same way a man who just gave a broken poison would act.

She had never felt such anger inside of her as she did when she pulled free the knife and threw it with her gloved hand. It was not her dominant hand but it hit Marzio in the shoulder nonetheless. The boy screamed as she pulled the knife free instinctively and threw it to the ground.

Janae was still angry, reaching for her spear as she rose to her feet. "You fucking slimy dickhead-" She was cut off as with a clean cut, Maurice swung his sword at her, cutting free her head from the neck.

Marzio watched in shock as her youthful head rolled across the arena. His eyes stayed fixated on the sight as the final three Warrior mutts, Berik, Ares and Maurice bowed before him, their weapons lowered.

Marzio felt his body become numb as the crowd stood before him, chanting his name and clapping in his honor.

"May I present to you, your champion gladiator, Marzio Ottone!" Ryken bellowed to the screaming crowd yet Marzio did not feel happy. He felt lost. He felt like a victor but he wasn't one. He still had to fight twelve more of the people he had grown up with. The thing is, Marzio was not sure he wanted to anymore.

* * *

The scream Evelyn let out was like none Nathalie had heard before. Evelyn was now crying for Nero or anyone else, she was crying as now, her infection would be able to kill her.

Nathalie felt sick. The blank, unmoved looks of the Peacekeepers as they watched on, making no attempt to help a weakened Evelyn. No to mention their trust in the Warriors. A normal Tribute would have thrown a spear into their head. The Warriors? They were trained to respect Peacekeepers so would never dream of such a thing. Only now did it hit Nathalie that Peacekeepers were trained to see them as Tributes and nothing more. The hours they had spent watching them grow up meant nothing now.

As she watched Evelyn pull herself to a standing position, with the help of her spear, the anthem echoed through the Arena. Yet, there were no faces to show. Only the symbol of a hammer, burning in the night sky. Then Ryken spoke once more.

"Over the past twelve hours, the eliminated have been fighting for the honor to fight alongside you. Eleven have died but the victor will be joining you very soon. I hope you will give your champion a warm welcome." and with that, the anthem ended and the symbol vanished, leaving the Warriors in awe. Confused but frightened that someone, one of them, killed eleven of their friends and was going to try and kill them too.

For the first time, Nathalie felt untrustworthy. Nero no longer looked attractive, he looked deadly. Damon, who ran to Evelyn's side, along with Shelly, no longer looked amused. They all looked like killers. Then there was Evelyn who hadn't changed since before the Arena.

Just as Nathalie's eyes darted over to the girl, something spilled through the air, lodging itself in Nathalie's stomach.

Blood pushed it's way through Nathalie's throat and out of her mouth, dribbling down her chin. As she fell to her knees, she didn't feel betrayed. If anyone was going to make the first real kill, it would have been Evelyn or Shelly. Even when ill, the Two girl was able to get a fatal shot in.

"Go!" Evelyn growled at Nero as she fell to her knees. The boy giving an understanding nod as he vanished around the corner, not wanting to pick a fight from the girl who was from home. Damon and Shelly paid Nathalie little mind as her canon sounded, their minds focused on getting Evelyn to safety.

* * *

 **15th Place-Clarissa Silvia, District Eleven**

 **Snow would have never allowed Clarissa to win, not with her cult following. That was why I placed her in the eliminated. She would have done well in the Arena, smart and cunning. Sunbeam will miss her. R.I.P Clarissa.**

 **14th Place-Janae Rayon, District Nine**

 **I honestly thought Janae had this in the bag. I thought Marzio would have been hated after his stunt during trained. Janae was an interesting character who played on her young looks. Her face claim was also one of the most child-like I got. R.I.P Janae, you will be missed.**

 **13th Place- Nathalie Sibylla, District Five**

 **Nathalie was just unlucky, she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She should have run with everyone else and foolishly thought Evelyn might still be interested in allies. R.I.P Nathalie, you are with Janae now.**


	38. Godly Sponsors

Marzio rocked back and forth on his heels. He had been upgraded to a better gladiator outfit. His reward for being the last of the eliminated was a fancy, metal suit. A large chest plate with a hammer and anvil engraved onto the surface. A helmet that protected the sides of his face and nose, the only part exposed was his brown eyes. He was still wearing a skirt, the red fabric blowing against the air conditioning that flowed through the hovercraft.

He sat at the far end of the hovercraft, his eyes still cast to the ground. He intertwined his fingers together, dragging his unclipped nails against his skin as he tried to block out the images of his friends dying. Janae most of all. She was not the strongest Warrior but she was stronger than him. He played dirty and that was the reason he was there and not Janae. He didn't even kill her, a mutt did. That was no life a victor.

 _It doesn't matter how you won, only that you are here now and there are only eleven people that stand between you and victory._ Marzio thought these words to himself as the craft entered the Arena. He could tell it had by the slight turbulence and change in humidity. The outfit that was originally too cold now left him thankful. Although, he would have preferred boots to sandals.

"Mr. Ottone?" A Peacekeeper said, clearing his throat. Part of Marzio wanted to defy him, to refuse to enter the Arena but he knew the only person he was showing up would have been himself. They would have just shot him in the kneecap and said it was an injury he already had. So, with a hint of hatred, Marzio pushed himself to his feet and shuffled over to the door of the craft.

As the craft shook, landing in the Arena, the Peacekeeper passed Marzio a large circular shield with the same symbol that was on his chest yet this one said Vulcan in large, shimmering letters. Marzio turned to the Peacekeeper.

"What is Vulcan?"

"Son of Vulcan," the Peacekeeper replied bluntly. "You're a gladiator now, you are now a son of Vulcan." Marzio didn't question the man behind the helmet any further, turning back to the door with a sigh. Then the Peacekeeper passed him something else.

It was a large leather bag, much like a satchel but with a looser design. Marzio gently took the bag from him and slung it over his shoulder. He didn't want to make contact with anyone else, let alone the people who were throwing him back out into the Arena. He deserved to be the victor, not thrust back into battle.

As the Hovercraft's door open, Marzio allowed two Peacekeepers to lead him out into the humid world.

The temperature was not that different from the Gladiator Arena yet it had a calmer feel to it. Like he was in the land of the Gods. Above him, fireflies circled against the starry, night sky. The moon offered enough light so nothing was in darkness yet the bright, silver glow lacked the warm feeling of the sun.

He found himself in a circular section, judging by the podiums, the starting point. There was no cornucopia in sight, only the rough markings of a battle plan etched in the sand. There was only one exit, free form any disturbance which told him no Warrior had made their way down that passage.

As he looked at the hedges that circled him, he saw millions of eyes, belonging to different animals. Some from mice, some from a bore, there was even black ram that silently watched him. Yet, they made no move to attack.

Marzio expected them to rush at him the moment the craft vanished but as the craft flew off, the creatures turned and left the boy in peace.

Once he was sure they were gone, he pulled the backpack off his shoulder and started to hunt through. Just as he reached his hand in, something, gold in color leaped from the pack and onto the ground by Marzio's feet.

The dark haired boy jumped back as he looked at the object. It was a crane, a small, ten-inch crane. Yet, it was made up cogs and metal. Its eyes were small blue flames and its beak was read with heat. It looked up at Marzio, a small puff of smoke breaking free from his beak.

Marzio looked back in the bag, all that was left were packets of food and water, enough to last him a month if he spread it out.

The boy looked over to the crane. "Are you my weapon?" he asked in a shaky voice. The bird didn't reply, leaping into the air, it's paper thin wings guiding it over to Marzio's shoulder. The robotic bird stood proudly for a moment before turning its head towards the exit, it's beak pointing towards it.

When Marzio looked, he was startled to see the most beautiful donkey stood in the way, a leather saddle on it's back. Marzio wasn't sure he wanted a ride around the Arena. He just wanted to go home.

* * *

Evelyn was in a bad way. Her breathing was slow and her skin burned despite her shivering.

Damon pulled his hand away and frowned, his gut dropping slightly. He had known Evelyn all of his childhood, she was the only one who treated him with all around kindness despite her skill. She didn't deserve to go down in such a way. Killed by a mutt.

"Psst," a voice called. Damon whipped his head around to see Shelly gesturing at him from around the hedge. He glanced back at Evelyn but the girl could hardly keep her eyes open. It was unlikely she was even aware of what was going on.

With a grunt, Damon pushed himself to his feet and jogged over to Shelly, someone he had begun to distrust since the Games had started. She was never one for honor, she would see no wrong in killing two allies to further herself. However, for now, she needed allies, at least until the final eight anyway.

As Damon came closer, her face became expressionless. "We need to kill Evelyn," she said bluntly.

Damon narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Why-"

"Because she is a threat. It isn't like she is going to win in this state. I give her forty-eight hours of life. And then she will be in pain." Damon looked back at his childhood friend with sadness.

"How should we do it-" Damon was interrupted when a high pitch beeping sound echoed through the area. The object that floated down was a small canister but it still cast a large shadow on the ground.

As it landed at Evelyn's feet, Ryken's voice cut through the sounds of distant crickets.

"Warriors. As a reward for their loyalty, the person who made the first kill in this Arena has been gifted with something they desire. But don't threat. Over the next hour, other Warriors will receive a gift from their Godly Sponsor. What you get depends on how well you have impressed them. Good Luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."

As Ryken finished, Damon ran over to Evelyn's side, detaching the canister from the parashoot and opening it up. Inside was an array of packets, by the smell, containing food, water, and some personal gifts. The thing that caught his eye was a set of syringes labeled "Sepsis." Damon assumed it was a medicine, they would have no reason to send her something that made her ill.

As Damon started to ready a needle, he looked over his shoulder at Shelly, her face twisted in envy. "My loyalty, for now, lies with Evelyn."

Shelly just grunted in response.

* * *

 **Vulcan is Hephaestus' Roman counterpart. Marzio's Godly Sponsor was Hephaestus but now he is a gladiator, it is Vulcan. Hephaestus was noted of riding a donkey.**

 **Right, so this is the gist. Instead of sending the Warriors sponsor gift after sponsor gift, they decided to do Godly sponsor. Each Warrior will get a package.**

 **In these packages are the following. Food (the Warriors favorite), water, something they really want (could be a blanket, medicine or a prefered weapon) and something personal to them as a token.**

 **Evelyn's submitter cannot send her desired gift, that was the sepsis medicine. But they can send the rest. Marzio's submitter, his desired gift was the stork but you can send him his other bits.**

 **If a characters submitter is not around, I will just give them the very base stuff.**

 **All of this is because, after the 24 hours of trying to find the exit, they used up everything in their packs. The Gamemakers don't want a lot of them dying from dehydration SO they are re-stocking them.**

 **I look forward to seeing what you send them!**


	39. Note

**Quick Announcement, will be taken down in twenty-four hours**

 **I haven't given up this story, I am working on Venus for the moment, mainly getting past the reapings. Expect a new chapter for this story soon. As I get bored of Reapings, I just wanted to power through them. Sorry for the wait but I haven't given up on this.**


	40. Betrayal

**There isn't a lot of chapters left. The deaths after this will come hard and fast now but with trained Tributes, it makes sense. I have my victor chosen now and I'm excited to see what you think. I'd say about five more chapters left now at the most. So let's get on with it!**

 **I need help from you all. I have a new SYOT planned. How many of you would be interested in submitting? And would you rather it was a full on SYOT or a partial? Would you rather it was a new SYOT or resurrection? Just want to get some views before I got ahead with it. Thank you.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Coutille Harrow**

 **District Eight Female**

Coutille had been shaken since the first cannon sounded in the Arena. It had only been a few hours and with the anthem still, to play, it could have been anyone. Her mind span with the possible Tributes who could have fallen. Eleven where already dead. With the latest death, that made twelve. She was in the final twelve.

The possibility that she was so close to home seemed alien. She had spent so much time away from home, she was not even sure District Eight was where she belonged. She was volunteered forward by a group of rebels to infiltrate the Capitol. She had no doubt let them down. She had little to no information and as the hours in the arena went on, she found herself less concerned about Snow's personal life and more interested in her own.

Coutille slumped back into camp, her arm full of firewood and her shield, the face of Medusa carved into the metal, on her back. Balina, who had been keeping guard, her helmet almost too big for her head and spear hand. She looked up and smiled upon seeing her ally and pulled free a bottle from beside her.

"Here," she said, tossing the water over to Coutille. "It's our last bottle of water."

Coutille mumbled her thanks as she threw the wood towards the fire. As she picked the bottle up, and tugged at the top, she felt her heart stop at the ease the top had come off. The bottle was full to the brim, meaning Balina had no reason to open the bottle to drink. There was only one reason Coutille could think Balina would open the bottle.

"You have the first drink," Coutille said with a smile. She hated herself for being paranoid but the Games had started. Anyone could kill.

"Oh no!" Balina said nervously. "You drink it, I insist-"

"It's the last bottle," Coutille said dryly. "It's only fair we both drink-"

"I'm fine-"

"Drink it-" The girl's growl was cut off by Balina's angered scream. The Seven girl leaped to her feet, throwing her spear towards Coutille who tried her best to dodge. However, she was knocked to the ground when it lodged in her arm. Thankfully, she right-hand.

The pain was short-lived, the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she pulled the spear free and threw it at Balina who was already running away. The spear flew through the air, lodging in the girls back and knocking her to the floor. The moment it hit and the red mist vanished, Coutille let out a whimper.

With a muffled sob, she raced to the girl's side, pulling free the spear and turning her over. The once pretty girl now looked up at Coutille, her eyes unable to focus as blood pooled around her lips.

"I just wanted to go home," her voice cracked, her body shivering. Coutille felt her body shivering as with a final few jolts, her body fell still, her cannon ringing out across the Arena. Eleven left.

Death never hit as hard as it would most Tributes. The Warriors had been trained from a young age to accept it. However, Coutille never thought that _she_ would kill. She was about peace and against the Games. Yet, she was playing it just like a career. Then again, that was what she was.

 **Sunbeam Feyre**

 **District One Female**

No one was there as Sunbeam clawed onto to life. Over the past few hours, more rapidly than she had ever seen, her skin started to bubble and blister, her fingers and toes slowly turning black and nothing nice was coming out of either end.

She had become separated during the race for the exit and collapsed by a dead end, her body unable to continue. She had only grown weaker and now, as she caught up blood onto the sandy floor, she knew her life was coming to the end. All because of that stupid mouse bite.

She wasn't sure if dying of an illness was better than dying from a knife to the head. However, as the hours passed, she hadn't even heard another Tribute, let alone someone that would kill her. Only one thing kept her alive. The Champion from the first twelve. Part of her hoped it would be Clarissa. Even if she only got to see her again for a short moment, it was worth clinging to life for.

As the Anthem played, Sunbeam used the last of her strength to roll onto her back, facing the sky.

The first picture to show up was of Maurice. Never the strongest fighter, she was no surprise he had fallen but there was a pang of sadness, he was from home.

Next was Annabella, then Romilda. The second one surprised her and she wondered if Shelly had any reaction to his death. Then came Nathalie, Loretta, and Balina. Loretta wasn't a surprise, Nathalie and Balina were, the Games really had begun. Then Ares, Tore, Vulcan, and Janae. It was sad, Janae was a sweet young girl, she couldn't have hurt a fly and didn't deserve the death she had received. Then the face she had been dreading.

Clarissa's. Quickly followed by Beriks. As she watched the face of her girlfriend fade, she felt all the strength leave her body. She had her worries her hopes were dashed when Marzio's face never showed. She just had to hope Marzio would now be hunted like a fox.

As she rolled over, throwing up another patch of blood, she let out a little chuckle, mostly because she didn't have the strength to laugh.

With Clarissa gone, there was little point hanging on. She was close to death anyway and trying to keep herself alive just gave the chance for someone else to kill her. She didn't want anyone to have that glory.

So as the world faded, she went with the thought of Clarissa and an afterlife where Districts and Games could not keep them apart. And her last words mumbled into the still air.

"Stupid mouse."

* * *

 **12th-Balina Abbott, 17-Speared by Coutille Harrow (D8F)**

 **It's getting to the point where I have to kill off a character I really liked. In the final twelve, they are all well loved and at one point could have been victors. However, Balina just wasn't the one for this story. I am really sorry but please know that Balina wasn't a bad person. She DID poison the water Coutille was to drink but only out of fear and doing what she had been trained to do. R.I.P Balina.**

 **11th-Sunbeam Feyre, 17-Plague Caught From Mouse.**

 **The moment she got bit by that mouse, she was gone. Apollo, plague, it had to be done. Sunbeam put up a good fight but once she found out the girl she loved was gone and she couldn't fight, there was nothing left for her in the living world. I like to think she would have found Clarissa on the other side and they would be happy. R.I.P Sunbeam.**


	41. Poseidon Sends His Regards

**Sorry I didn't update last week. It was my birthday last Monday so I took the week to myself. I hope to be on track with my attempts at weekly updates now XD**

 **QUESTION! Do you guys want final eight interviews or should I give them a miss?**

 **Also a note on mistakes. I asked for pointers on Venus and a few people told me to proofread my work or put it through Google translate. I am dyslexic so I do try my best with things. I do proofread and I do use voice reading software but there are some things I do miss. However, I will try harder from now on.**

 **Enjoy ^_^**

* * *

 **Marzio Ottone**

 **District Three Male**

When Marzio opened his eyes, the sky was still black and blanketed in stars and fireflies. He had been in the Arena twelve hours by now yet there was no sign that daylight would be arriving soon.

He sat upright, his body aching from an uncomfortable sleep on the sandy ground. Before he slept he found a small water source. A glowing, deep pool. Sure, it was stupid to sleep near a shimmering pool that could hold anything. But the water was fresh and the width that of his own head. As long as slept away from it, he felt the other Warriors were his only danger.

He unwrapped a small paper package, tied with string, that held a few slices of ham. Slowly he tore chunks off, trying to make the meat last as much as he could. With his greedy ways, the food he had been given as his prize was now just the ham. He had eaten, or lost it, thanks to his donkey, over the past few hours.

A cannon sounded, waking up the donkey. Ten left.

Marzio watched out of the corner of his eyes as the Donkey he had named Bob paced, tugging on the rope that tied him to a hedge. The dark haired boy sighed, wrapping up the ham once more and placing it in his pack.

Then the pool started to bubble, the light far more bright than before. The stork flew from his perch on top of Bob and started to crow loudly. The boy probably stayed too long entranced by the pool, only running when, like a swarm, a thousand tiny crabs burst from under the surface.

With a yelp, Marzio turned to Bob, tugging on his leash until the crabs had multiplied into their thousands. They were like no crab he had ever seen. The size of a small coin and bright, shimmering blue.

In too much of a state of shock to feel guilt, Marzio grabbed his backpack off Bob and fled towards the small opening in the hedge; the way he had come in. When he looked over his shoulder at the screaming animal, he saw Bob swarmed with the creatures until he collapsed under the mass.

Marzio sprinted along the edge of the fence but the opening had vanished, he was now encased in four, hedge walls. Too thick and full of roses for him to ever break through. By the time he had realized this, the creatures had surrounded him.

The stork breathed a small, long flame but even the crabs it hit died. They simply shook it off and carried on their way to Marzio. That was when the stork turned to Marzio, gave a small nod and flew off with a mechanic hum.

The Warrior tried to shake off the mutts but for every four he shook off, twenty more crawled up his other leg. Then they started to attack. Like a small army, they started to chew at the muscles in his legs until they gave out from under him, sending him tumbling to the ground. Thankfully he didn't live much longer after that.

* * *

 **Grover Lindall**

 **District Seven Male**

"This is stupid," Veyron groaned, poking a piece of bore dung with a stick.

"We need food," Grover pointed out.

"We have food-"

"No enough food-"

"Only not enough for you," Veyron reminded the dark-haired boy as he stood to his full height. "The animal went that way," the boy said, gesturing to his right.

"Awesome!" Grover said with a smile, picking up his spear with a childish bounce.

"We should be careful though, the dung is very fresh. About a just over ten minutes at best." Grover gave a nod and the pair reverted into stealth mode once more. Grover had thought about killing Veyron but once the food ran low, a tracker like Veyron could come in handy. Plus, although he wouldn't admit it, the boy was starting to grow on him.

Veyron's predictions were right after a few moments of walking, the pair came to a small clearing. Inside, rooting in the dirt was a large, red bore.

Grover turned to Veyron with a sly smile. "Stand by the entrance, make sure it doesn't get away. I will corner it."

Veyron raised his brow. "And if you don't kill it-"

"Oh don't be stupid," Grover hissed, "Just do what I say, okay?" Veyron gave a nod, holding his staff tightly as the boy walked towards the animal.

At first, it seemed like the job would be easy. The bore stopped each and carefully watched Grover, his spear at the ready. The animal seemed unwilling to attack. Until Grover got ready to throw his spear.

The bore grunted, diving out of the way of the weapon and barreling towards Veyron. Grover screamed for him to strike. However, before the boy could swing his staff down, the bore drove into his legs, knocking the boy to the ground.

It then bounced onto his stomach, digging his sharp teeth across Veyron's chest. Creating a shallow wound. It then made sure to stomp on his nose for good measure as sped off into the night.

Veyron was left on the floor, holding his side with heavy breaths.

"You okay?" Grover asked, walking up beside the boy. An unknown sense of worry in his eyes.

"Not really," Veyron winced.

* * *

 **Coutille Harrow**

 **District Eight Female**

Coutille walked back towards her and Balina's camp. Just her camp now. After she had come to relative terms with her allies death, she tried to clear her mind by collecting water and washing the blood from her body. Although, it had stained the leather of her sandals.

She got on her hand and knees, pushing her spear and pack first before entering into the secluded area where her camp was. There was another entrance, a pathway that the girls used to take turns covering. Yet they always entered through the gap in the hedge, it felt safer.

Coutille, like most Tributes, had gathered the sun would never rise in the Arena. Yet the fireflies that offered light seemed duller and the crickets louder. The fire by the makeshift tent had died out in the hours of Coutille's outing. Balina's bloody body was also gone.

Coutille brushed herself off, swinging her pack over her shoulder when a voice came over the crickets.

"Coutille?"

The dark haired girl quickly grabbed her spear and pointed it towards the noise. Slowly coming into view in the dim light was Venus, her arrow aimed at Coutille's temple.

"Venus-"

"Balina's dead," Venus said sternly, her hand steady. Coutille started to move away from the opening but Venus copied her movements perfectly until she was stood near the hole.

"I know," Coutille whispered.

"Ah!" Venus exclaimed. "So you saw?"

Coutille took a sharp intake of breath. "Yeah, Grover got to her-"

"Cut the crap!" Venus hissed, pulling the bowstring back. "You have a weapon, you would have killed him. You wouldn't come back here, either!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs, attracting any Warrior in the area.

"I had to, she was trying to kill me!" Coutille knew she was out of look. Venus could have fired her arrow before Coutille have even got in the position to throw her spear.

"Bullshit, Balina wouldn't have hurt a fly!" Venus bellowed, her eyes red and teary. "You know, I fucking hate you-"

"Venus!"

"No, I do. You always act so self-righteously yet you are one of the first ones to kill, your ally of all people. You are nothing but a murderer!" Coutille's voice started to shake as a lump formed in her throat. She knew she was telling the truth but over the anger and volume in her voice, there was no way of convincing her.

"So go on, fucking cry, you cow. Cry for Balina and anyone else you have killed. Fucking die you-" With a whistle, Venus came to a stop. Her face being replaced with the tip of a spear. Her army drooped and her body fell to the ground. Not even looking at the killer, Coutille turned and ran, her bag swinging behind her. She ran expecting a the spear to reach her at any moment.

Instead, she heard a female voice, over the boom of a cannon. Evelyn's voice.

"Nero!"

* * *

 **10th Place-Marzio Ottone, 15, Killed by Poseidon's Crabs.**

 **Marzio could have been one of the first to die but he made it a few places further. He was never a victor, sadly but I did have fun writing him. There was no reason for the crabs attacking him other than the fact he was not from Four. If you class Sunbeam as dying from the plague, he is the first Warrior to die from a Godly Sponsors animal. R.I.P Marzio, you were smart but you couldn't outsmart a God.**

 **9th Place-Venus Atwood, 16, Killed by Nero Anghal.**

 **Any SYOT writer knows that when you get to this stage, you end up killing the characters you love. I didn't want Venus to die but someone needed to take the ninth spot. She was a possible victor for a while but I ended up siding with someone else. She died trying to avenge her dead friend (even if she got Coutille's motives wrong) and hey, she died before all hell broke loose. R.I.P Venus, we can always pretend my other SYOT is named in your honor ^_^**

 **Just a quick heads up, I will be doing a small story (if you can call it that) where every chapter will be a SYOT of mine. On each chapter, I will list the Tributes in that story, their age, District, about them, kills, cause of death and so on. Not sure when it will be done but when it is, it will serve as an easy way for you to see past Tributes and stories without cluttering my Profile with Tribute lists. It also means when it is the resurrection Games, it will be easier for you to see all the Tributes.**


	42. Fire, I'll Take You To Burn

**Fast update! I planned everything out and realized I had three chapters left until the Games were over. Gave me the little boost I needed.**

 **I won't be doing final 8 interviews, when the victor is going around the District, I will give a short thing on how each Warriors family is doing.**

 **Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **Evelyn Spires, 17**

 **District Two Female**

Evelyn pushed her way through the small opening. She knew Nero would not attack her.

The dark haired boy smiled a weak grin. His eyes drifting over to Venus' twitching body.

Evelyn followed his gaze and sighed. "It's the aim of the game, only one can win."

Nero gave an understanding sigh as he yanked the spear from her head, wiping the blood and brain matter on his red cape.

"I just wish she wasn't involved. She was a good person." The pair fell silent. The crickets once again starting to chatter. "You alone?" Nero asked.

"At the moment, yes. Damon and Shelly are collecting wood. We heard the girl so I came to investigate." _Did I just tell him I was alone?_ It didn't matter. They had grown up together, he would never hurt her. Then again, he had grown up with Venus too.

It was Nero in the end who broke the silence. "Are you here to kill me?"

Evelyn let out a small laugh. "Not for now," she sighed. "Only if we both make it to the final, I don't want to kill you-"

"If anyone was going to kill me, I'd rather it was you." Evelyn felt her body begin to shake as she looked at the broken boy.

"Why?"

"Because you are the strongest here. Truthfully, you are like my sister, I don't want to hurt you but I think you can agree we would both rather be taken out by the other," She knew Nero was right but with the words he spoke, she felt a sharp stabbing pain in her chest.

"Sister?" She mumbled. "Is that honestly how you see me?"

Nero beamed. "Of course, I have known you almost all my life. You are from home, we trained together, we know each other inside out, that can only come from siblings."

Evelyn smiled but inside she felt crushed. All those thoughts about marrying Nero or even being in his arms were dashed. If in the worst of times he only saw her as a sister, she would never change his minds. Yet at the same time, she knew it was for the best. Only one could win after all.

"So, how do we fight, we only have spears." Nero thought for a moment before smiling once more.

"We throw at each other-"

"We could both die-"

"It's the only way, think about it." Evelyn did indeed think and once again Nero was correct.

The pair moved to opposite ends of the clearing and readied their spears, pulling it back. They both counted down to three, their body shaking. On the count of three, they both let their spears fly.

Evelyn closed her eyes once her spear had left her hands, only opening them again when she heard Nero's hit the hedge two feet away from her. Her blue eyes flew across to Nero who slunk to his knees, a spear lodged in his chest. On his lips, a broken but relaxed smile. A smile that said a thousand words.

Evelyn had trained with Nero most of his life, she knew he wouldn't have missed her by such a large margin. But the audience and President didn't. The smile he shared throughout his childhood and with Annabella had vanished at the death of his love and friends. To Nero, there was no reason to win anymore. To return to a family he hadn't seen in ten years, pressured into spending time with other women, living with the guilt of people like Venus. Causing his own death would have punished his innocent family. Making it looked like he died in a fair battle kept everyone safe. He hoped Coutille would fight back. He was always too kind for his own good.

"You fucking idiot," she said through tears. "You are such an idiot." Nero didn't hear, his cannon sounded just as she began to speak. Leaving Evelyn alone.

* * *

 **Grover Lindall, 17**

 **District Seven Male**

"There it is, big man!" Gover laughed. Veyron frowned as he looked at the thick, patterned collum, a brass bowl on top and blue flames standing tall. On bowl was a name elegantly carved into the brass.

"Who is Hestia?" Veyron winced, clutching his side.

Grover shrugged. "Some chick by the sounds of it. Doesn't really matter to us."

"Right," Veyron said carefully. "And what is the plan here?"

Grover snapped his fingers, a sly smile on his face. "We push this little baby over, run away, let it make the arena all toastie, taking most of the Tributes with it and pick off the charred survivors."

"That seems a bit sadistic-"

"Veyron, come on. It's the Hunger Games, the very definition is sadistic. Plus it helps us."

"Whatever," Veyron sighed. "But I can't run, not like this." Grover looked at the boy and winced. Other than the shallow cuts, the bore had broken at least one of his ribs. Grover had patched him up the best he could. He was not completely sure why he wasted his first aid kits on the boy. Maybe it was because the boy went along with Grovers foolish ideas. Maybe Grover was growing a soft spot for the guy.

He shook the latter idea away from his headspace. "Okay, you start walking away, I'll catch you up...as long as we are walking away from the fire, we should be fine." Grover felt he could trust Veyron not to betray him or run away. Being injured, he needed Grover more than ever.

Veyron grabbed his pack and staff and started to walk away. When Grover had decided he was at a safe distance, he lifted his right leg and kicked the collum. However, the fire bowl did not budge. With a grumble, Grover kicked the hot bowl, turning the blue flames a dark, deep red.

As he kicked it over and over again. An owl circled above him, sounding out a warning call. The dark-haired boy didn't listen. This time, frustrated by the small amount the bowl had moved. He decided to push it with his hand. A mistake he would later regret.

He used his none fighting hand but still, he could feel the skin burning and peeling as he pushed with all his weight. With a final push and a pained scream, the bowl gave way, clattering to the ground.

* * *

 **Belinda Herd, 16**

 **District Ten Female**

Belinda was shaken away by the cries of a ghostly white peacock that walked around her sleeping form. She opened her eyes to see thick, grey smoke covering the sky above, a few hedges in front was a large crackling fire.

Once the Peacock knew she was awake, it ran off down an exit behind Belinda. The dark haired girl grabbed her pack and ran after the bird and away from the spreading flames that engulfed half of the Arena.

* * *

 **8th Place-Nero Anghel, Killed by Evelyn Spires.**

 **I feel cruel killing Nero after you saw him in the last chapter. However, I decided that Nero is someone who wouldn't want to win. He lost the girl he loved, his friends, killed people he liked. A victory would have left him as a prostitute (most likely), guilt-ridden and after being trained all his life to be a killer, with nothing to do. R.I.P Nero, Atlas won't forget you.**

* * *

 **Out of the final seven, who do you think will die in the fire, who do you think the victor will be and who do you want to win?**

 **District 2: Evelyn Spires, 17**

 **District 4: Shelly Bereg, 15**

 **District 5: Damon Romulus, 16**

 **District 6: Veyron Maverick, 17**

 **District 7: Grover Lindall, 17**

 **District 8: Coutille Harrow, 15**

 **District 10: Belinda Herd, 16**


	43. NO CAPES!

**Just a quick notice, Marzio's Godly Sponsor was not Poseidon. That was Shelly's. It was just a God getting rid of competition. Marzio just made it too easy by falling asleep next to a body of water.**

* * *

 **Damon Romulus, 16**

 **District Five Male**

Damon was never the fastest Warrior, yet, it had never bothered him. Until now. As his alliance ran from the towering flames, Evelyn took the lead, her face dull and emotionless. She had been the same since investigating the screaming. Although, she did not have time to confind what happened. Shelly kept a good pace a few steps behind and that left Damon in the back. That also meant the flames were closer to him.

Smoke filled the air around them, clutching and squeezing their lungs with every breath. Shelly and Evelyn held their capes over their mouths but the uncomfortable, burning sensation in Damons organs made it hard to do such an act. All his foggy mind could focus on was running and even that was becoming a struggle. To make it worse, the Arena was moving again, cutting off paths and leaving the group seemingly trapped by every move.

"Come on!" Evelyn said through a choked scream, pointing towards a slowly closing space between two hedges. The group, including Damon, pushed themselves as hard as possible, begging for their legs to go faster than they were.

Evelyn was the first through, quickly followed by Shelly and Damon. However, when he broke through the gap, something pull him back. The girls looked over at the boy, their faces in shock.

The boys cape had become stuck between the two hedges, rendering Damon unable to move.

"Help!" He said in a rough, broken voice, his eyes wide with fear. Evelyn moved forward but Shelly quickly pulled her back, placing her trident in front of her.

"Leave him, he is dead weight now-"

"No!" Evelyn spat, trying to pull away. Shelly pierced her lips, allowing Evelyn to move forward, only to place the trident against her back.

"Eve, there is only one victor," Shelly coughed, the fire now hooked around the trio, threatening to capture them all within it's flames. Evelyn looked at the smoke, then her friend and frowned.

"You're right," she sighed, lowing her weapon and turning to Shelly. The dark haired girl lowered her weapon, turning to look at the flames that engulfed a hedge behind her.

"We should get going then-" with a scream, Shelly fell forward, tumbling into the burning hedge. As her burning body screamed and thrashed, Evelyn turned back to Damon with tears in her eyes.

The boy was barely conscious from the smoke, Evelyn wouldn't be far behind if she stayed any longer. "I'm sorry," she whispered before turning and running for the exit.

* * *

 **Coutille Harrow, 15**

 **District Eight Female**

With a shattering rumble, the sky above the Warriors cracked, showering the fleeing creatures with icy cold water. The flames that tore through the Arena without mercy became smaller with a loss of bite with every drop. Within minutes, the once bone chilling fire had been beaten down into many charred hedges in the labyrinth.

Coutille looked at the murky night sky, amazed at the fireflies shimmering despite the heavy rain. _Of course, they are mutts._ She thought as she held her spear tighter.

Only two cannons had sounded from the blaze but there was no saying how many more had been injured by the relentless flames.

As the rain slowed in its power, dark-haired girl found a small, burnt bush, enough of the tangled branches to still conceal her but not enough to hide her from direct contact. If someone was looking for her, they would find her.

With a sigh, she leaned her spear against one of the root branches, keeping her pack on her shoulder incase she needed to make a speedy exit. However, the temporary shelter to keep her hidden until the rain had passed turned into something more. She was not sure how long she had been awake, with no sunrise, it was hard to tell. However, judging by her weakening state and the gut feeling, it had been almost a full day.

So with the sound of the rain bouncing off the compact sand around her, the thick branches keeping at least her face dry, she found herself able to drift off into a deep sleep.

"Coutille," the voice was barely above a whisper and not enough to wake the girl from her sleep. Then the voice called her name once more, this time with far more pain. Coutille's panicked green eyes opened, only to come face to face with Veyron, a spear pressed against her throat.

"Veyron," she gulped, trying not to startle the usual friendly giant.

"Do you still have your first aid kit?" he asked with a sense of urgency. Coutille's eyes drifted to the large bruise on his chest and cuts covering his torso. "I used all of mine," he added.

Coutille gave a nod. Veyron took her spear, and allowed her to crawl free from her hiding place. She then looked at the shaking blonde.

"You will need to put the weapon down for me to treat you-"

"I want to go back to my camp, you have the advantage, knowing I am weak and in a place you know." Coutille felt her stomach turn. She trusted Veyron more than most Warriors yet she still could not guarantee that in the final five it wasn't an ambush. However, she had seen Veyron with a spear, he could strike her before she had even had chance to turn around, let alone run. She couldn't fight him, he held her weapon. At the same time, he needed treating and as long as she had the first aid kit, he would keep her alive.

Coutille gave a nod and Veyron signaled for her to turn and walk, the spear pressed up against her lower back.

The taller boy lead her to a part of the Arena that seemed to be untouched by the fire. A small, green grove with a large willow tree, at it's base being a glowing pool and lilypads. As she entered, an owl called, the she saw it.

"Coutille!" Grover cheered as he scrambled to his feet, clutching his left hand like a injured puppy. "I am so glad Veyron found you!" Coutille was taken aback for a second until she realised she was really the only choice. Shelly, Damon and Evelyn were too large of a group for Veyron to threaten. Belinda would have helped Veyron, same as Coutille but the moment she saw Grover, she would have left him to his wounds rather than help him. Yet, two people were dead, they had no way of knowing that one of them wasn't her. It was a gamble so they must have been desperate. Of course they were.

By the looks of it, the pair had used their supplies on Veyron, medical wise at least. Classic Grover to assume he would never get in a scrape where he would need such supplies. Plus Veyron never stole Coutille's kit. He brought her he because neither of them know how to treat Grover. She was their last resort.

"We understand if you can't help, if not, we will let you on your way-"

"You will kill me the moment I am not useful," Coutille pointed out, glancing over to Grover.

Veyron shook his head. "Grover does not have a weapon. As long as you bring no harm to us, we will let you go, this once...Grover agrees." Grover gave a nod to his allies terms. Grover under the rule of someone else? He truly needed help or it was a clever trick. Yet, she trusted Veyron more than that.

"Okay," she sighed. "What is wrong, Grover?" with a roll of the eye, the boy pulled back his cape that had been torn and wrapped around the left hand. As he pulled it back with a concealed scream, he showed a palm, covered in third degree burns.

Coutille felt a pang of guilt for the boy, caught in the Gamemaker's trap. She swung her bag off her shoulders, pulling free the first aid kit.

"Is there any cream?" Grover winced. Coutille shook her head. The kit was full of the regular plasters, bandages and antiseptic wipes. Anything more would have been helping the Warriors too much.

She pulled a packet of antiseptic wipes free and tore the packaging. "Take your sandal off and bite on the strap," she ordered. Grover did as he was told, she watched as he took off his sandle with ease. At least his dominant hand was working. Once the strap was in Grovers mouth, Coutille started to rub the wipe over his burns. It would do little help, this late in the Game it was unlikely infection would have time to fester. She was trying to save face.

As Grover screamed and tried his best not to thrash. The anthem echoed through the arena. Veryon lowered his weapon as he looked at the sky. Coutille tried to stay focused as she removed the wipe and started to cut a bandage to size. She shuddered at the faces. Shelly and Damon should have been in the final few. Okay, maybe not Damon, he made it far by being Evelyn's friend but Shelly was deadly.

"Who is it?" Grover hissed, coming down from the pain the wipe had caused.

"Shelly and Damon, fire got 'em I guess," Veyron sighed. Clearly saddened to see one of his friends go.

Grover laughed. "Good that means Evelyn should be in bad shape too-"

"You burnt your hand," Veyron pointed out with annoyance.

"Yeah but with both her allies dead, she must have been in the middle of it!" Veyron fell silent but something stuck with Coutille. With a hand as burnt as Grover's, he must have placed it in the middle of a mass of flames. Yet, his lungs did not sound in bad shape in the slightest. Neither did Veyron who was clearly his ally. Maybe Coutille had gained a negative view on this through the Games but the idea popped into the head that maybe the fire was not set by the Gamemakers after all.

She was about to say something when the sound of a large eagle swooping from the top of willow made the trio jump. It was followed swiftly by a large, dark owl and a pearl white stork. The group of birds landed in front of Grover, Veyron and Coutille. Notes attached to their legs and swords in their mouths.

With caution, Veyron knelt down, unhooking the note from the storks leg. Coutille did the same with the eagle and Grover with the owl.

"You should be respectful in someone else's domain, now he will hunt you until only one remains," Veyron spoke with fear. Coutille felt her chest tighten, a flight response telling her to run. Grover just scowled but even he had fear in his eyes.

"Who is hunting us-" he was cut off by the sound of pan flutes drifting through the Arena. The sky above glowed with lightning yet no thunder followed nor was there rain. As the flutes played, the ground started to shake, the smell of wet animal on the breeze with a hint of roses.

"What is happening?" Coutille Said breathlessly.

"The end game," Veyron said, trying his best to hide the fear.

Grover nodded, jumping to his feet and grabbing his pack just as a light rain started to fall. "I say we ain't around the meet it."

* * *

 **Sorry, the fire wasn't the end game. But now it is coming and every Warrior has a sword.**

 **7th Place-Damon Romulus, 16-Killed by Fire (set by Grover)**

 **Damon was cute Pre-Games and could have been during the Games but I just overlooked him, sadly. I had these events planned out before I even got to the Arena. Shelly would convince Evelyn to leave Damon, only for Evelyn to kill Shelly to further herself. R.I.P Damon, you were never my victor but you was a good character.**

 **6th Place-Shelly Bereg, 15-Killed by Evelyn Spires/Fire**

 **I don't know what to say about Shelly. She was never my victor but I did like her. I never gave her amazing character enough screen time to shine so I hope she comes back in my resurrection story. She convinced Eve to leave behind allies but maybe a bit too much. She misjudged Evelyn. Damon was worth more than Shelly, the moment she left Damon for dead, Shelly should have ran. R.I.P Shelly, you would have made a fine victor, you were just not my victor.**

* * *

 **FINAL FIVE EVERYONE! Who do you think the end Game is? Should be easy if you know Greek myth.**

 **The five Warriors will now be joined and guarded by their Godly Sponsors.**

 **Who do you think the victor will be? Who do you want it to be? Most Helpful Godly Sponsor? Who do you think matches their Godly Sponsor the most?**

 **District Two: Evelyn Spires, 17-Ares/Boar**

 **District Six: Veyron Maverick, 17-Hermes/Stork**

 **District Seven: Grover Lindall, 17-Athena/Owl**

 **District Eight: Coutille Harrow, 15-Zeus/Eagle**

 **District Ten: Belinda Herd, 16-Hera/Peacock**


	44. Pan

**_"Victors are honored, Heros are respected,"_**

They should have ran the moment the flutes sounded. The calming music mixed with heavy hooved footsteps. However, Veyron's body was frozen, Coutille and Grover's too. The moment the flutes came to a stop, Grover pushed himself to his feet, slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading towards the exit.

As he past Veyron, he leaned in close to where was inches from his ear. "Let's go." Veyron looked over to Coutille who quickly stuffed her first aid kit back in her bag.

He grabbed Grover's arm and pulled him back. "What about Coutille?" The original plan was to take her out the moment she heeled Grover. He couldn't say he was a fan. He had yet to see anyone die or kill anyone himself. Pathetic really, for a Warrior. However, he wasn't sure he wanted to either. So he was counting my blessings he would not be thrusting a spear through Coutille's skull just yet but it was out of character for Grover to let her go.

The blue eyed boy grumbled, shrugging his way out of his grip. "It doesn't matter anymore, she is one more thing between us and whatever hell they are about to unleash. We need to focus on us two now."

Veyron gave an understanding nod as he and Grover turned and ran, quickly tailed by Coutille. They raced through gaps in hedges and around sharp corners, believing to be furthering themselves from the mutt. However, as they rounded a bush, a golden hand shot out, gripping the exposed ankle of Grover.

With a yelp, the boy fell to the ground, the solid hand tightening unil, with a sickening crack, the bone within shattered. The trio looked on in fear as the skin started to crack and peel, flaking off in what could only be described as gold leaf.

As Grover screamed in pain, Coutille lifted her new sword, bringing it straight down on the arm. Why on earth she was saving Grover of all people, she didn't know. Yet the humanity in her, the inner rebel took control and with surprising ease, her blade glided through the gold arm, like a regular human. Except for every part of the arm, including the blood was gold.

With a deep hiss, the man the arm belong too vanished into the bush, leaving Grover with a broken, golden ankle. The dark haired boy writhed in pain while Veyron looked on in shock.

As the golden man's screams died, they were replaced with the bellows of a goat. A large, goat who sounded like an angered and broken man. The trio looked out over the horizon as the sound echoed through the arena. But this time, it was mixed with something else. A voice.

Coutille let out a gasp as Belinda appeared in the distance, screaming. When her eyes fell on the group, she started to shout for them to run. Veyron readied his sword to attack but when he saw what she was running through, he lowered his weapon.

At least twenty meters high was a man with goat horns on his head and fury pants. No, they were not furry pants, there were his legs, complete with shimmering black hooves at the bottom. The wind changed and the breeze started to smell of a mixture of roses and a farm.

When Belinda made it to the trio, she looked down and Grover and frowned. She then looked up to a terrified Coutille, her green eyes trained on the mutt that moved slowly towards them. Enough to catch up but not enough that they didn't stand a chance.

Belinda grabbed onto the girl's shoulders and pulled her away. "Move it, we have to go," Belinda said Breathlessly. Coutille tore her eyes away from the mutt and towards the girl who had seemingly been showered in blood.

"You are bleeding," Coutille said distantly. Her mind swirling with a thousand terrifying thoughts.

"It was my Peacock, tried to protect me," Belinda's eyes moved over to the eagle that was perched on Coutille's shoulders. "He-he ate it." the group fell silent, Belinda catching her breath. "We have to go-"

"But, Grover," Coutille whispered, her eyes glassed over and body shaking.

Belinda looked over to the boy and winced, trying to push down the lump in her throat. "There isn't time." it didn't role off her tongue well. A week ago, she was in love with Grover, now she was leaving him for dead.

Veyron let out a small grunt as he pulled his backpack off and handed it to Coutille and used his sword to cut his cape, handing it to Belinda. "I'll distract him-"

"No," Belinda said, tears forming in her eyes. "It is suicide-"

"I will just pull him away, just get Grover to safety, okay?" Belinda could tell Veyron didn't expect to make it back. As much as he hated to admit it, Grover had become more of a friend than he had expected. His last friend left. Sure Grover could have used him but Veyron was not sure he had offered much help through the Arena, Grover would have killed him before now if that was the case. He had no one else on the outside, Grover was the last thing he had.

With a sharp turn, Veyron ran off, his sword at the ready and shouting out his request back to the girls. As Belinda watched Veyron run towards the monster, she didn't really want to help Grover. However, when Coutile moved towards him, she knew she had to. It was Veyron's last request.

However, as the girls moved towards the boy, they found his leg had become worst. The veins in his right leg and face had become gold, the flesh around the exit wound of the ankle bone had started to flake. Grover himself could feel his right leg becoming numb.

The girls worked together, each grabbing on arm and pulling Grover to his feet. However, the boy quickly started to slip down. Even with all their might, Grover's muscular build that made him so attractive to Belinda was the very thing that was starting to weaken the girl's grip.

They pulled the boy until he toppled forwards, screaming Veyron's names. The girls looked up in time to see the half goat man biting down on something. Soon after, a cannon shattered the Arena.

"Maybe it was Eve," Belinda offered. Coutille didn't reply, pulling away from Grover and grabbing her pack. "What are you doing-"

"We need to go. Vey is gone, it will come here next-"

"But Grover-"

"Veyron would rather two of us survived than none," Coutille sighed, the watery glint in her eyes telling Belinda she didn't agree with what she was doing. Belinda gave a nod, placing her sword in her belt and throwing her bag over her slender shoulders.

"Kill me," Grover said weakly, using all of his strength to pull his body into a squatting position. His skin was now starting to turn a pale gold. Whatever the gold man had done to him must have slowly been killing him with his weakening state. "Don't leave me to the same fate as Ron, just make it quick," Coutille stepped forward but Grover waved her off. "I want Belinda to do it, for what I did to her,"

Belinda opened her mouth to protest but as the screams of the mutt came closer, she complied. Her hand shaking, she drew her sword and moved towards her old flame. Grover turned his back to Belinda, exposing the base of his skull. A warrior's death.

"Belinda," he whispered as she placed the tip of the sword against the target. "Tell Laurel I'm sorry. And don't let Gerhard pressure her into marrying him. I'm sorry to you too." Belinda seemed taken back by his words, her breathing starting to become shallow. "At least my parents won't miss me...really, all of us have been dead for ten years...it was just prolonged...right?" Neither girl answered. Coutille had turned her face form the scene. Grover sighed. "Just do it."

With a small whimper, Belinda pushed the sword into Grover's skull, killing him instantly. As his body slumped to the ground, a cannon sounded. A cannon that marked the end of the male contestants and signaled a new female victor.

* * *

 **Yep, the final three. The final mutt is Pan and Minos. Minos was the guy who attacked Grover and was slowly turning him to gold. Just not the metal kind. This also means I will have my FIRST female victor, I am excited. Who will be joined Atlas Geo of District 2 and Lux Hymnoor of District 5?**

 **If you are interested in my other stories but don't want to read them, a new story called Database gives you a quick rundown of everything.**

 **5th Place: Veyron Maverick, District 6- Eaten by Pan**

 **Veyron was a good character and I really enjoyed writing him. If I did not want a female victor, he and Grover would have been possible victors. At first, he was going to be killed by Grover, then Grover would kill him to save himself in the fire. However, I somehow ended up creating a friendship between the two but I am not complaining. R.I.P Veyron. You may not have saved Grover but Belinda and Coutille will never forget your sacrifice.**

 **4th Place: Grover Lindall, District 7- Warriors death inflicted by Belinda.**

 **When I decided a girl was going to win before the Games, Grover was always going to be killed by Belinda. In revenge. However, I decided that murder was not something Belinda would seek out on Grover. A mercy killing is more true to her character. I love Grover and I am super sad to have to kill him. He was an amazing character (with a pretty cool face claim) but in the end, these were not his Games. R.I.P Grover. If only Minos had not caught you, you could have won and married Laurel.**

 **Now, I am having some second thoughts about my original choice for victor. So please vote who you want to win on my profile and state your reason why in the reviews. I have two in mind and I would like to see what the readers think.**

 **Even more exciting, we find out our victor in the next chapter. It is scary how close I am to the end. I am going to miss this story.**

 **I hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think.**


	45. Reluctant Victory

**Coutille Harrow, 15**

 **District Eight Female**

Coutille was not sure why she stuck by Belinda as they ran from the mutt. Every bone in her body told her to drive her sword into the girls back, get the final number to two and go from there. However, Coutille was smarter than that. Evelyn was still out there, she was stronger than her and Belinda. But both, together, at the same time? Well, her odds increased.

They rounded another corner and a hedge shot across their path, almost crushing Belinda. The curly haired girl stumbled backward, Coutille being the only thing that stopped her from falling to the floor.

"What is the point of Orienteering being my skill if the Arena keeps changing?" Belinda hissed to nobody in particular.

Coutille gave a sigh as her eagle guide landed on her shoulder. "They are trying to lead us somewhere."

"I know that," Belinda grumbled. "No doubt into Evelyn's sword, they want a show-"

"If that...thing doesn't take her out first," Coutille offered, trying to be positive about the situation. Belinda just shook her head.

"No, we have been walking for at least half an hour now, we haven't heard anything from the mutt...he kills to fast, they didn't train us for nothing." Coutille knew she was right, which frightened her. She knew she could take Belinda out but Evelyn, unless the odds were tipped in her favor, it would never happen.

Belinda turned back to the hedge and eyed it up like she was figuring out the best way to clamber up the foliage. After a few moments, she shook her head in defeat. "Just forget it, let's turn back-"

With a scream, the eagle flew off Coutille's shoulder. Only it didn't fly. Attached to the animal was a spear that had shattered through its body, killing it pretty much instantly; and leaving a large gash in Coutille's shoulder.

The girls spun around on their heels to see Evelyn racing towards them, her sword at the ready and her eyes mad.

With a grunt, Coutille quickly pulled the spear free and before Belinda could protest, threw the weapon at Evelyn. However, with her torn shoulder, her aim was off.

* * *

 **Evelyn Spires, 17**

 **District Two Female**

Evelyn's right leg almost gave way as the spear tore through her arm, thankfully, the arm she did not need for sword fighting but the pain was gut-wrenching either way. She had a few moments to pull the spear free, as Belinda charged. The wound was large and straight through and through. She had to end this as soon as possible before she bled out.

The moment Belinda was close enough, she swung her sword, Belinda dodging it by millimeters. The next one cut closer to home, leaving a shallow gash on her chest and tearing her chest armor.

With a grunt, Belinda brought her sword down on Evelyn but the blue eyes girl stopped the blade, inches from her throat. Both girls gritted their teeth as they put all their strength behind the sword. However, even with one arm, Evelyn found herself able to overpower her opponent.

"Go Coutille!" Belinda shouted as with one last large push, Evelyn knocked her to the down, her sword clattering to the ground.

Evelyn quickly spun around on her heel, thrusting her sword deep into Coutille's stomach.

* * *

 **Coutille Harrow, 15**

 **District Eight Female**

The moment the blade tore through the thin skin on Coutille's stomach, the world seemed to slow down. Yet her body became numb, she didn't feel a thing as Evelyn pulled the sword free. It was her own idea to get around Evelyn and attack her from behind. She knew the dangers. However, as she stumbled backward, slumping against a hedge, she found herself in a state of shock.

With a frustrated scream, Belinda leaped to her feet and raced towards Evelyn, holding the cross guard of her sword. Before the girl from Two could turn around to face her, Belinda smashed the tip of the hilt into the girls head with such force, there was a bone-shaking crack.

Still alive, Evelyn fell to the floor, her eyes teary but her face in a state of shock. As she tried to push herself to her feet, Belinda went in for another blow, bringing the hilt down onto the back of Evelyn's foot, shattering it underneath the force.

"Help!" Evelyn screamed like a frightened child, her face turning to Belinda. "Stop-" Belinda swung the fuller into her face, stopping the girl's pleas with a sickening snap of her neck.

Coutille watched as Evelyn's body smashed into the sandy ground, her cannon sounding a few seconds later.

Belinda turned to Coutille with sympathetic eyes as she raced to her side, removing her hand to look at the wound.

Coutille gripped her sword in her other hand, knowing that while she still had the strength, she should take an undefended Belinda out. She could still win. But the more she thought about it, the less she wanted to.

She took away her grip on the sword and placed it on Belinda's hand instead, looking in the girl's eyes. "What did they turn us into?" She asked the sobbing girl.

* * *

 **Belinda Herd, 16**

 **District Ten Female**

Belinda shook her head at the girl's question. "What do you mean by that?" She asked in a shaky voice.

Coutille gave a faint smile. "Even Evelyn wasn't cruel, she asked for help and mercy in her final moments. Same with Grover, and even those who didn't say it were thinking it. We are frightened children, all of us, yet they made us think we were killers. Really we just wanted to go home."

Belinda shuddered as she thought about Coutille's words. "I am not even sure what home is, the Capitol or Ten?"

Coutille smiled. "Try being me, everyone wants me to be the voice of the people, to save them from the Games. However, although I hate them, I can't help but understand them. They build off a primal instinct to survive. Anyone who enters no matter how against them will play the Game. It's not easy to lay down your life when offered the chance to live, no matter how slim, we take it."

Coutille winced as a large wave of pain shook her body, causing her to shiver and coat her mouth the coppery taste of blood.

"You are not a bad person-"

"I am," Coutille grumbled, blood trickling down her chin. "So are you. No one in here deserved to win but I would rather it was you...at least you will know what to do with yourself." By now, the only thing keeping her upright was Belinda and that took all the girls strength. Coutille never thought she would know when she was dying but as her body shivered, grew weaker and the pain started to fade, she knew it was coming. She glanced up at Belinda, craning her neck to look the girl in the eyes. "I'm frightened." She said breathlessly.

Belinda looked at the girl with watery eyes, shaking her head, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. "I don't know what to do-"

"Just stay with me," Coutille mumbled as she buried her head into Coutilles chest and closed her eyes. Her breathing stopped a minute later but in her final moments, she thought about everything she had done in the Arena, the people she had hurt, the things she had thought about doing. Yet she didn't feel regret. She felt happiness for in those moments, she was not influenced by her rebel family or the Capitol. They may not have have been the right choices but they were hers. It was who she was. Turned out she wasn't a hero of the rebels or a killer, she was just like everyone else, a child.

When Coutille's cannon sounded, it made Belinda jump. Her breathing became shallow as she listened to the silence, only for it to be broken by the sound of the anthem.

"May I present our victor of the thirty-fifth Hunger Games and the Champion of all Warriors, Belinda Herd of District Ten!" A voice said, shattering the air, the sun rising far off in the

distance.

Belinda knew she should have been overjoyed. She had lived. She got to go home. To a District she hardly remembered, a family who knew hardly anything about her, never seeing her friends again and leaving behind her Warrior life. The only life she really ever knew.

Her sobbing became more violent as she buried her head into Coutille's hair. "I am sorry, Grover, Evelyn, Coutille, I _don't_ know what to do," she sobbed. "I'm-i'm...frightened."

* * *

 **3rd Place- Evelyn Spires (D2)- Broken neck, caused by a blow to the head with a sword. Killed by Belinda Herd (D10).**

 **Ahhh, here is where it gets funny. Evelyn was the victor of this story until a few chapters ago. Then I had second guesses. She was the strongest Warrior, she just got unlucky. I haven't got a real reason why she didn't win. The fact Atlas was from Two didn't help. I kinda wanted my first female victor to be an outlier. R.I.P Evelyn. Sorry to her submitter but hey, 3rd place is still good.**

 **2nd Place- Coutille Harrow (D8)- Internal bleeding, caused by a stab to the stomach. Killed by Evelyn Spires (D2).**

 **Even more surprises, Coutille was the victor until writing this chapter! It was her background of coming from a rebel family that sealed her fate in the end. She just wouldn't fit with the plans for the victor. You will see in the next few chapters what I mean. However, she was the character that made me question my choice of victor. It had been Evelyn for so long but when I started to see the development I happened to give her, I liked it. She was meant to be killed by Nero, then in the fire, then by Grover, None of them felt like the right time to kill her off. This felt like the right death for her. R.I.P Coutille. I feel really bad ripping away victory from her so close to the end but I am sure even her submitter will understand my reasons upon seeing the next chapter and what the plans for the victor are. I personally think Coutille would have struggled with Snow's plans.**

 **Victor- Belinda Herd, District Ten Female.**

 **And here we have my first female victor and second outie. She and Coutille drew (as of writing this) in the poll for victor (Evelyn was one vote behind) and she had a lot of support in the reviews, so I am sure she will be liked. Even though she was my last minute choice for victor, she is a worthy victor in my eyes and I am happy to have her. From the start, she was going to die in second place, then the last chapter, it was third. Now look where she is. I know that compared to Coutille, it may seem like she had little development within the Games but after Grover's death and Coutille's final moments, she will be a changed person. Congrats to Nevershout, Belinda is joining Lux and Atlas in the victors squad! She is also my first dark-haired victor!**

 **It feels strange to be at the end of the Games. A lot has changed in my own life since starting this story and so has my writing. I will admit that a few times I did think about leaving the story when my life hits some bumps but I am proud that I pushed through. Sure, there are a few things I would change but this story has also taught me a lot.**

 **So before this chapter ends, I have questions. Truthfully, what would you change about the story, who was your favorite character, has my writing improved and what was your favorite part?**

 **Also, if you have time to spare, I have a SYOT that is struggling with Tributes. Atropos. I am still looking for more characters there :)**

 **Thank you for reading the Game's chapters, I would say there is about three more chapters and this story is done!**

 **Until next time.**


	46. Terms of Victory

**3 Weeks After Victory, the Capitol**

Belinda closed her eyes tightly as she leaned against the balcony of the tribute center. Only a bar and force field between her and a sharp tumble to the ground. Her white, lace dressing gown tugged and twisted against the strong wind, causing the dark-haired girl to rock back and forth.

She shut her eyes tighter, blocking out the sounds of the racing traffic or the grumble of the coming storm. Instead, she focused on what she could feel.

Her curly hair, now grown back and longer than ever, curled around her more defined face. Her once scared and bloody hands now smooth and fresh. She should have felt rejuvenated and alive, but instead she felt her stomach turn.

None of it felt real. Modifications aside, this didn't feel like home. Yet neither did Ten. She had spent most of her life within in the Capitol, so deep down, she always saw that as home. But now, it just felt wrong. Things were missing.

When she opened her eyes, she wanted to see Berik and Nero wrestling on the floor, Evelyn and Annabella watching Nero from afar. Vulcan filming his new installment for his family while Damon followed him around like a lost pup. Sunbeam and Clarissa sneaking away to one of their rooms. Grover flirting with everything that moved while Shelly boasted about some new trick she had played on a helpless soul. Tore working with Marzio to create a contraption that would please Coutille. Although, she would just smile politely and reject his advances. Romilda and Veyron once again standing up for Loretta and after one of Pallas' episodes. Maurice and Venus trying to rope Balina into their latest prank. Nathalie demanding Janae make her smoothie while the later rolled her eyes and groaned. Ares clapping like a child to his favorite cartoon, a mouthful of sour sweets.

That's what she wanted to see when she opened her eyes. But instead, she was greeted with a bustling Capitol street and colorful skyline. A location rather than a home.

"Belinda?" a soft voice called from behind the girl. Belinda glanced over her shoulder, just long enough to see her mentor Amire Mellon standing by the sliding doors. She had a silk dressing gown loosely pulled over her body, Lujza, her lover from Five had clearly been over again.

"What is it-"

"The President is here to see you," she said with a whimper, finally securing the dressing gown around herself. Belinda felt her heart jump by the woman's words. She had yet to have a formal meeting with the new President of Panem, President Snow. She expected one soon enough but in the early hours of the morning? The idea seemed far from pleasant.

Belinda swallowed. "Is he here now-"

"Ah, Miss Herd!" The gruff words were spoken as she turned to face her mentor. Instead, coming face to face with the pale man. His voice was gruff, like a thousand shards of glass had become caught within his throat and his yellow eyes were like that of a deadly snake.

Belinda moved her gaze to Amire who made a quick escape into the hallway and back to her room, leaving her alone with the President and fourteen guards.

The girl's mind spun with the horrible things a middle-aged man could do to her, alone in her room in nothing but a dressing gown on. Yet, the man simply pulled out the chair from her desk and gestured for her to sit down. Belinda reluctantly obliged, shaking as she did so. Once seated, Snow smiled.

"Sorry for the intrusion, I am not one for invites, I find meetings without preparation tend to me far more truthful, wouldn't you agree?" Belinda did nothing but nod, casting her eyes away from the President, his gaze unnerving in the low light.

"Did I do something wrong?" Belinda asked timidly. She wasn't about to pick a fight with the ruler of Panem. It was easier to comply and get the meeting over with as quickly as possible.

"Oh no dear," Snow chuckled. "I am simply here to discuss the terms of your victory."

There was that uneasy tension within her stomach again. Threatening to bring up what little she had for dinner. "Terms?"

"Of course," Snow replied bluntly. "We show you mercy, you give us something back, it is the way it has been for thirty-five years." He waited a few seconds to see if Belinda had any follow up questions. When the girl fell silent, he turned and took a small piece of paper from a nearby Peacekeeper and handed it to Belinda.

The girl took it in hand, her blood running cold when she read the document.

"From now on, you will be a Capitol Citizen-"

"What about Ten?" Belinda yelped. "My family have been waiting for ten years-"

"Child!" Snow barked, watching Belinda shrink back into herself. "They are not your family. They are the very people who sent you here and lived off the payment. You were part of District Ten for six years, the Capitol for ten. You speak with a Capital accent, you have a fondness for our food and culture. You would never survive being sent back...there." Belinda gave a sorrowful nod as she handed the document back to a Peacekeeper. Snow's face softened. "You may exchange letters with you family but you may not send gifts. Treat your Victory celebration in Ten as your final goodbye. After that, the only interaction you will have with District Ten will be mentoring their Tributes."

Belinda felt empty and cold. She had never looked up to her parents in a good light, Snow was right, they offered her up only to line their pockets. Even their letters were blunt and to the point. However, after the death of her Warriors, part of her had hoped she could rekindle a relationship with them. It was an unlikely event but it was blow to know she would not even get the chance. Snow was also right about her being more Capitolite than District born. Her memories of Ten were spotty and unappealing. If she went back, even her voice would remind people of the place their children went to die. She had little doubt she would be seen as an outsider. One of them by birth but not by hardship.

Earning some form of anger and bravery over this realization, she cast her eyes up to Snow and narrowed them. "What's the catch?"

A large grin spread across Snow's face. "I can tell I am going to like you." Belinda didn't answer, her eyes looking into Snow's without a sign of backing down. The President sighed. "During your stay here, you will train an Army of Peacekeepers. An Anti-rebel division. Of course, you were not the strongest Warrior. But out of Panem, you are one of the strongest sixteen-year-olds. With a few more years to complete your training, you could become our greatest asset. Of course, until that day comes, you will be joined by a second in command to help you. You will not be training the recruits but more tactics and how to snuff out...problems before they become unmanageable."

Belinda pierced her lips, her gaze moving down to her lap. "How do we snuff out problems?" she asked, her voice shaky. Knowing where the issue was going but she needed to hear Snow himself say it.

Snow signed yet still managed to grin. "Eight is proving to be a problem. Rebellions are not far away. We need anyone involved inside this group to be eliminated."

Belinda's breath hitched. Coutille had always been rumoured to be part of the rebellion but she herself had never believed it. Her final moments had brought the whispers back to light and now she felt they were confirmed.

"Who are the targets-"

"That is not for you to worry about. You just need to lead your team." Belinda fell silent, knowing that fighting was futile. The future of the victor had been decided since the moment the Warriors were chosen. No matter who the victor was, they would have been met with this outcome. An outcome even the new President could not overrule.

"Well," Snow spoke, breaking the silence. "Now you know the terms, I will leave you to your rest." Like one unit, the Peacekeepers moved towards the door, surrounding Snow. Just before he exited the room, he turned back to Belinda with a smile. "I look forward to meeting you again for the Capitol Party. Good luck on the Victory Tour, Miss. Herd."

And within a few seconds, Belinda was once again alone, only this time she held a documentation of her new citizenship and a sense of dread of what was to come.

* * *

 **There are about two more chapters within this story. The victory Tour then ten years on. This was to explain Belinda's role after the Games. I thought it was different from the normal wake up and Victor interview.**

 **What type of Victor do you think Belinda is going to be? Do you think Coutille's family is involved within Snow's plan? What do you think of Belinda now being a Capitolite?**

 **I can't promise when the next chapter will be out. It will be very long. It will have eulogies for all Warriors, glimpses of their family, Belinda in each District and the Capitol Victory party. It is the last time some character may be mentioned in this story so I really want to make it as good as I possibly can.**

 **On a side note, I have a new SYOT called Another Brick in the Wall: 42nd Hunger Games. It is just a simple SYOT but I am trying to build and expand my universe more with it. Belinda, Atlas, and Lux will be mentors. However, be warned. There is a very small spoiler for the next two chapters within the first chapter. It will only bother you if you care at all for the side characters within this story. I'd love to see you submit!**


End file.
